The Path of Time
by Vulcan Wolf
Summary: The title is my take on a Vulcan phrase that translates to "Time is a path from the past to the future and back again." Spans from The Wrath of Khan through TNG and part of Voyager back to the Reboot. Juliana Kirk is mine, but that's about it.
1. Part One :: Chapter One

Here's another Star Trek Fic by moi, Vulcan Wolf. It's been sitting on my HD for a long time, and I figured what harm in posting? It's a long one, and it comes in parts. Here's Part One! Enjoy!

Legal Stüf: I own absolutely _nothing _belonging to Paramount, not the Enterprise, not Captain Kirk, and not Doctor McCoy or Commander Spock. Dammit. Just a starving student with three lovely boys upstairs who keep me busy.

* * *

Part One :: Chapter One

When Juliana Marcus was assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise, landing a post in Sickbay under the thumb of Commander Leonard McCoy, who was reputedly one of the toughest CMOs in Starfleet, she took her commission with a healthy dose of apprehension. Everyone in Starfleet knew the Enterprise's former captain either in person or by reputation, she couldn't think of a single cadet, mid, yeoman, or admiral who didn't know something about James T. Kirk. That was not to say it's _current _captain was a Starfleet nobody.

All during her childhood, adolescence, and tenure at Starfleet Academy, her mother had always warned her to keep her boots polished, keep her hands clean, make sure her uniform was neat, and by _all _means mind your manners before superiors. There were three in particular Juliana had been warned to be on her best behavior around: Admiral Kirk, Captain Spock, and Commander McCoy. Should she _ever _have the unspeakable honor of serving them somehow, and an honor it was, she should keep her respectful distance from the captain, stay out of the admiral's way, and do exactly and whatever the commander told her. Juliana did everything to keep a low profile. The few times she encountered the captain or the admiral, she held her peace. It was usually in a public setting with people and she didn't have to say anything regardless, as she was never directly addressed, but one evening after a sparring session with Lieutenant Saavik, she found herself in the ultimate awkward position. She had changed into her duty uniform, having showered in the locker room, and thought she might be able to get away without getting caught by her superiors.

"Good night, Juliana." Saavik called as she stepped off the lift.

"Good night, Saavik." Juliana smiled and stepped back to allow another passenger boarding.

"Deck?" it took her a minute to realize the senior officer was addressing her directly and she looked up.

"I'm sorry?"

"Which deck?"

"Oh! S-sickbay." She gulped. _Admiral Kirk! _She bit her lip. Damn.

"Convenient. I'm going that way myself." The admiral smiled and gave the order to the computer for the proper deck. As they got underway, he turned to her and looked her over, "I don't believe we've met before. You're part of the training crew?"

"Yes, sir." She stood at attention, as she had been taught, keeping her hands folded behind her back to hide the tremors. _Admiral Kirk! Admiral Kirk, my father! Damn! _

"What's your name?"

"Juliana Marcus, sir." She kept a nicely straight face, the name didn't seem to rally any recognition despite the fact that she was practically the man's bloody female _clone_. This was a little awkward.

"You're all so _young_! But you look like you know what you're doing."

"Thank you, Admiral." She looked down. As they reached the Sickbay deck, he let her go out first. When they reached Sickbay, Doctor McCoy turned on them both.

"You're _late_, Lieutenant Marcus." He gave Juliana _that _look, and she had the sense to blush.

"I'm sorry, sir. Lieutenant Saavik and I lost track of the time. It won't happen again, I promise."

"And which one of you saw the loosing end this time?"

"Two to one, sir." She blushed. She _was _getting faster, and stronger, but Saavik could still kick her ass any day in sparring. McCoy just rolled his eyes.

"I figured as much. Jim, do you mind waiting a minute?"

"Oh, take your time."

"I just have to take care of a few bruises. Come along, lieutenant." The CMO beckoned her to follow him and she looked back over her shoulder. Had he figured it out yet? As she sat down on the bio bed, McCoy took note of her elevated heart-rate and respirations. He finished the customary scan and looked at her.

"Something else the matter, Julie?"

"Admiral Kirk, sir."

"Aw, _him_? Nah, don't let him scare you away." The old-fashioned CMO chuckled, "So you lost this time?"

"More new bruises to add to the tally."

"Have you ever considered asking for restraint?"

"What's the point? How will I learn that way?"

"Stubborn kids. One of these days I'll just turn you around and push you out that door."

"Not anytime soon, sir." She rubbed the back of her neck as he prepared the requisite hypospray.

"Hand down." he said, pulling her hand away, "You know the breaks, kiddo."

"Sorry." She winced as the hypo made contact with the side of her neck, "She flipped me backwards over her shoulder."

"Is _she _okay?"

"Better than I am." She exhaled, "No worries, it's mutual pain." McCoy snickered and told her to get some rest, _he _had prior engagements to attend.

"I'll see you in the morning, Lieutenant."

"Good night, sir. Good night, Admiral." She trotted out of Sickbay with a salute to both officers, and once she was out she raced back up to Saavik's quarters. It was one of only a few cabins aboard the Enterprise that actually had a lock on the door. She looked both ways as she laid her hand flat against the scan-pad, and ducked into the cabin as the door opened to her.

"Saavik?" she called softly.

"In here." Juliana heard Saavik's voice from the living room area and quietly took off her boots, setting them by the door. Going into the living room, she found Saavik seated on the low couch. Her friend was just out of the shower, her hair was damp and she wore nothing but a robe.

"Sorry it took so long."

"You always apologize for taking longer than you think you should have. You are only late by one minute." Saavik scolded, rising in one fluid motion that made Juliana's skin crawl with anticipation. She exhaled slowly as Saavik held out a glass of wine to her, allowing their fingers to touch but briefly as she took the offering. Juliana touched her glass to Saavik's, making a silent toast to friendships, sisterhood, and love. They each took one sip of the wine and then exchanged glasses. Taking her by the hand, Saavik led her to the couch and they sat down together. Juliana sighed heavily, feeling tormented muscles relax as she eased into her customary position on the long couch.

"You are stiffer this evening."

"That's my payback for sparring with you for three hours after the end of shift." She sipped her wine and held up two fingers. Saavik just smiled and shook her head. She and Saavik had sparred twice in the past three days, something they almost _never _did, and now her body was paying the price. It was _so _worth the pain, though. Juliana sighed, wincing as Saavik picked out the particularly tender bruises by touch, finding one on her hipbone. After savoring the intimacy of a shared glass of wine, Juliana let Saavik coax her to the narrow bed with just enough room for two people. Five minutes later, Juliana was enjoying a massage and thanked god for skilled Vulcan fingers and for Saavik, who loved Juliana's troubled human soul and laughed at her odd, illogical, very human thought-processes.


	2. Part One :: Chapter Two

Part One :: Chapter Two

Two days later, the Enterprise engaged the hijacked Reliant in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Juliana kept busy in Sickbay with Doctor McCoy, who tagged her to take over for him when he was called to Engineering. Once he was gone, everything else happened so quickly she barely had time to breathe. Sickbay was in chaos as wounded were brought in from numerous decks and she was giving orders to a batch of new arrivals when Doctor McCoy hailed her.

"McCoy to Sickbay."

"Marcus here. What's the situation down there look like, sir? I've got my hands full."

"Juliana, have Lieutenant Chapel take over in Sickbay. I need you down here."

"What's going on?"

"Just get down here, lieutenant." There was something in the tone of his voice that got her attention. She frowned and turned, signaling to Christine Chapel even as she grabbed a bag of supplies.

"Chapel, take over for me! Doctor McCoy needs my help in Engineering!"

"I can take it from here." Chapel smoothly took the reins, had probably _wanted _to the whole time, and Juliana sprinted through the Enterprise down to Engineering. She took an access-way to save time, dropped down the ladder in Main Engineering, and staggered to a halt as she watched Captain Spock lower Doctor McCoy in what _looked _like a faint. It wasn't, and she watched something so bizarre and so unexpected she couldn't _do _anything but stare. It took her a minute to realize _what _it was and she choked.

_Oh my god!_ She thought wildly, _He just passed his _katra _to Doctor McCoy! Why would he _do _that? _When the captain got to his feet, he was unaware of her observance. As he headed for the devastated main chamber, she sprinted across the deck and caught him by a fold of his jacket.

"Captain! You can't go in there!"

"I must."

"Please! There _must _be another way to save the Enterprise!" she got him to turn around and face her. He looked sad, but determined.

"There _is _no other way. The Genesis accelerator has already been activated. We have minutes at most."

"But why _you_? Why?"

"Everything vital has been left with Doctor McCoy. Trust me." He pushed her away at arms length, looked her over, and briefly touched her hair, "You are a truly remarkable Human, Juliana Kirk. I hope your father is so lucky to know your loyalty some day."

"You _knew_?" She whispered. He leaned down and kissed her, not on the forehead or on the cheek but on the lips, set her head spinning. She was aware of a brief touch on her face, didn't think anything of it. When he pulled away, he backed against the door leading into the flooded compartment.

"I _always _knew, Juliana. I always knew. Live long and prosper."

"Peace and long life, Captain." She whispered as he entered the compartment, which locked behind him. In a heartbeat, Commander Scott and Doctor McCoy were pounding on the glass, trying to get him to turn around, acknowledge them, to _stop_ before he got himself killed.

"What is that bloody pointy-eared bastard _doing_?" Doctor McCoy hissed.

"He's saving the Enterprise." Juliana croaked, "He's saving our lives and how do we thank him?" A moment later, they felt a surge in the deck beneath their feet and Juliana muffled a sob. Doctor McCoy dragged her into a hug and she hid her face in his coat.

"I tried to stop him! I tried everything to stop him!" she gasped between sobs, "I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault, Juliana. We _all _tried to stop him. He was determined." McCoy reassured her. As they watched the radiation overwhelm the captain, Engineering was hailed from the Bridge.

"Well done, Scotty." Her father's voice was full of relief. Juliana looked at Scott, who looked so heartbroken. He couldn't take responsibility for anything that had possibly saved their lives. Overwhelmed by radiation poisoning, he had been all but useless to do much more than _watch_ as Spock sacrificed himself to save the rest of them.

"Admiral, you'd better get down here." She spoke first, wondering that her voice worked at all.

"Lieutenant Marcus?" he was surprised to hear _her _voice, "Why are you in the Engine Room?"

"You should hurry, sir." She looked into the sealed compartment. What seemed like a heartbeat later, though it was much longer, her father came staggering into the Engine Room and when he caught sight of Spock on the other side of the glass, it took all three of them to hold him back. Juliana caught her father around the waist, Scott and McCoy caught him by the arms, and they kept him out of the compartment. Spock wasn't dead yet, and Juliana watched as he and her father exchanged final words. As Spock breathed his last, Juliana's father sank to the deck, stunned by the death of his best friend. Juliana ached to comfort him somehow, give him some consolation. A hand on her shoulder belonged to Doctor McCoy, who fixed her with the strangest, most intent look. He leaned close so no one would overhear anything he said to her.

"You were the last person to be with me, Lieutenant Kirk. You should be the first to be with Jim. He needs that from you." It wasn't McCoy's voice she heard, but Spock's.

"But he doesn't _know_, captain!"

"Have more faith in the man who shares your intelligence." He gave her a push towards the shell-shocked admiral. She sank to her knees and reached out, touching his hand where it rested on his knee. Startled, he seized hold of her and looked up. Her mother had always said she had inherited two things from her father: his eyes and his reckless abandon for the rules. The eyes Juliana looked into, eyes full of sadness and unspeakable loss, were exactly the same color as her own and she _knew _they mirrored what her own eyes held. Without a word, he pulled her down so she sat directly beside him and threw his arms around her.

"Juliana."

"Come on, Admiral." She whispered, pulling back a little. He let her pull him up and lead the way out of the Engine Room. Once alone in a lift, he dragged her into another hug, stroking her hair and the fabric of her tunic.

"Did you have any contact with him before he died?"

"I tried to stop him."

"You should have known better."

"I had to try. I had to _know_." She looked up at him, "You understand, don't you?"  
"I know better than to try and talk Spock out of something once he's put his mind to it." He smiled wistfully.

"Couldn't the same be said for you?"

"Why do you think we're such good friends?"

"How does anything get _done_ between the two of you?"

"A mutual agreement to disagree."

"Hmm." She shrugged, "I guess he didn't see the point in arguing with another Kirk. He already had his plans, and nothing was going to change his mind."

"How dos your mother put up with you?"

"Patiently. When I'm feeling particularly stubborn she'll accuse me of being more like my father."

"I doubt that was a compliment, my dear."

"I'm half a Kirk, what did you expect?" She smiled, "And unlike my brother, I _don't _hate you."

"At least one of you doesn't. How did you even happen?"

"I have no idea. I just know I wasn't planned." She dropped her gaze. He wouldn't let her dwell on her sadness, it wasn't what Spock would have wanted them to do. Acceptance was easily won from her father, and they had a common sorrow.

* * *

When they committed the captain's body to space that evening, Juliana stood with Saavik and David, her fingers interlaced with Saavik's as they wept quietly. She didn't understand why she was so saddened by Captain Spock's death, she'd barely known him at all. It wasn't _logical_, and yet she mourned. Her father's eulogy was perfect, the words of a man who had come to know his best friend so well that to lose him had broken his heart.

"We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet, it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world. A world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings." Juliana heard the catch in her father's voice and finally closed her eyes as she bowed her head, "Of my friend, I can only say this...of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most...human." Those were the Admiral's last words, and as strains of Amazing Grace on bagpipes filled the bay, they watched in mournful silence as the casing that served as Captain Spock's coffin was ejected into space. Hikaru Sulu gave Juliana the Federation flag they had draped over the coffin, and she thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

"I think he would have wanted you to have it, Lieutenant." He said as she took the folded flag from him. The flag _should _have gone to Spock's mother, Amanda, but Juliana couldn't help thinking they were right. As the bay emptied, Juliana hugged the flag to her chest and paid no attention. She sent Saavik away with David, listened as the Senior Officers chatted in quiet voices as they, too, took leave. Once she was alone, Juliana looked out the windows to space, to the Genesis Planet.

"_Why_, Captain? Why did you do this? What logic was it that told you this pain was the right thing?" She addressed thin air, and somehow knew she would receive an answer.

_"I could not tell you what logic it was, for there was no logic that would be understood. Trust that I have done what was necessary and right." _His voice out of nowhere was oddly comforting, but strange to hear, _"__Do not mourn, Lieutenant, it is illogical." _Juliana buried her face in the flag and chuckled. She put the flag away in her quarters, she would put it into a display box later, and went to the bridge to be with her father, who held out one arm to her as they watched the final stages of the Genesis take effect.

_"He's really not dead, as long as we remember him." Doctor McCoy piped up, and Juliana looked across her father to the CMO. He just gave her a familiar, significant look. That was as much for her as it was anyone else on the bridge._

_"'It's a far, far better thing I do than I have done before. A far...better resting place I go to than I have ever known.'" Her father recited a line straight out of A Tale of Two Cities. Juliana hid her smile in her sleeve.  
_

_"Is that a poem?"_

_"No, it's something Spock was trying to tell me, on my birthday."  
_

"How do you feel, Dad?" she looked at him. He'd just lost one of his best friends, someone he'd spent the past twenty years with. He chuckled, a sad sound that almost broke Juliana's heart.

"Young." He sighed, "I feel..._young_." Juliana smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. Genesis was beautiful, and promised so much. She missed the Captain, which was still strange, but only logical. That made her chuckle, but no one asked why.

* * *

That's it! Chapter 2! Read, Review, and be kind! No flames, please. What do you think of Juliana? Thoughts? She just sort of happened one night and her story has gotten very long indeed.


	3. Part One :: Chapter Three

Part 1 :: Chapter 3

A few days later, the Enterprise rendezvoused with three other ships and the trainee crew was reassigned accordingly. Among those reassigned from the Enterprise were Saavik and Juliana. Saavik was reassigned to work on the Genesis world with David, Juliana was reassigned to the U.S.S. Chimera. She bade a heavy-hearted farewell to her father, to the Enterprise, and set off for her next commission. She didn't make very many friends because of her resistance to talk about her experiences in the Mutara Nebula. She ate alone in the mess-hall, often talked to herself in Vulcan, and went about her duties efficiently but with more than a professional distance. Frustrated with her defiance and overall odd behavior, the Chimera's captain finally ordered her to report to the ship's psychiatrist for counseling. So one day, just before the end of Alpha Shift, she reported to the proper office at the appointed hour, intending to tell Doctor Christian exactly _why _she kept to herself and why she didn't say anything about the Reliant, the battle in the Mutara Nebula, or the Genesis planet.

* * *

Robert Gage was reading the file on his next patient when she arrived, and he was fascinated. Up until recently, according to her record, Juliana Marcus had been efficient and outgoing. Her instructors at the Academy had nothing but good things to say about her, and she had a strong recommendation from Leonard McCoy of the Enterprise. She had another from Admiral Kirk, commending her for taking over Sickbay in Doctor McCoy's absence during the trouble in the Mutara Nebula. But lately, she had been withdrawn, almost snappish with the crew, and singularly focused simply on doing her assigned duties in the Chimera's Sickbay. His door sounded and he glanced up, "Come in."

"The captain wanted you to see me, sir?"

"Ah, Lieutenant Marcus, yes. Come in." He smiled and waved her into the office, taking note of her posture and body-language. She was on the defensive. "Sit down."

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"The captain doesn't share your opinion."

"I could tell you what I think of the captain, but I won't." She folded her arms defensively across her chest, "Well?"

"Hmm?"  
"Aren't you going to start asking?"

"Asking what?"

"The same nosy, personal questions everyone _else _has asked me! Why don't I talk to people? Why don't I _try _to make friends? Why won't I talk about Genesis?"

"I can see why you _wouldn't _want to. Would you mind terribly if I asked and expected a response?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" she was defensive, belligerent. Odd. Robert pushed aside the PADDs on his desk and rubbed his forehead.

"Lieutenant Marcus, I could – "

"Kirk." She interrupted.

"Beg your pardon?"

"It's Kirk."

"Your record states your legal name as Juliana Rebecca Marcus." He scanned the file, but when he looked at her he sighed. This one was going to be difficult. "Very well. Kirk, then. I could write a recommendation suggesting you be removed from the Chimera."

"Be my guest, Doc."

"And put on suspension for hostility and refusal to follow orders."

"Feel free to go right ahead and put that recommendation in writing, Doctor Gage." She shrugged, "If it'll get me off of this bloody ship of nosers and gossips, I'll commit mutiny."

"Are you really that desperate?"

"Oh you have _no _idea. At least on the Enterprise we had all been through the same thing together. If I didn't want to talk about it, no body held it against me or threatened to use it against me somehow."

"And why is the Chimera any different?"

"Because they don't respect my privacy and my right to silence. If I don't want to talk about it, I sure as hell shouldn't be _forced _to."

"And you don't want to talk about it?"

"Have I _given _anyone the impression I'm open for discussion on one of the most highly-classified conspiracies in Starfleet? Forget it!"

"Conspiracy?"

"Oh come on! The only people allowed near that blasted world are the science teams? They've grounded my father and threatened him if he tries to go back? What am I supposed to think?"

"Your father is involved with this? How?"

"My _father _is Admiral Kirk."  
"Oh!" well, no wonder she kept it close! Robert leaned back in his chair and wondered if Kirk realized she had just opened up to somebody on the ship she hated.

"Get it?"

"Well, yes, I do understand. You're protecting your father's already shaky reputation by holding your peace. Besides that, anyone involved with the Genesis Project is forbidden, _by_ law, to talk about it openly or at all. The crew should respect that and stop looking for gossip."

"That's why I don't talk to anybody, because I don't trust them to keep their mouths shut and I really _don't _want to talk about it."

"Well, since I've got you here and you seem at least marginally willing to talk to _me_, would you mind continuing?" He didn't want to scare her out of talking, but he was intrigued.

"Can you get me reassigned?"

"Without the mess of mutiny charges? I think I can manage."

"What do you want to know?"  
"What did you see? Why won't you talk?"

"I was the last person to have physical contact with Captain Spock before his death. I was one of the last people he spoke to." Her gaze grew distant and unfocused, "I tried…I tried to stop him from going in, but he told me everything important was safe with Doctor McCoy."

"And Doctor McCoy's been committed."

"Which was the wrong thing to do. He's carrying the memories, the _soul_, of Captain Spock."

"His _katra_." Robert knew a bit about Vulcan psychology, and wondered how much Kirk had actually seen. That was just the start of a session that ended up lasting almost two hours. The more he heard of Kirk's story, the more her odd behavior made sense. She was simply following orders on a ship where those orders didn't seem to matter and a most sensitive and painful subject was free game for gossip. He invited her to eat dinner with him and kept the conversation neutral. That night, returning to his office, he compiled a full report on Juliana Kirk and submitted it to Starfleet Command along with two transfer requests. Starfleet was offering transfers to any officers who wanted an easy way out of a difficult situation, and he had to admit he had been looking at alternate commissions for a while. They would be visiting Starbase 617 in a few days, perhaps it would be their last visit with the Chimera.

In the few days between her interview with Doctor Gage and the Chimera's arrival at Starbase 617, Juliana spent her time as Doctor Gage's assistant. It was safe for her there, and no one bothered her. When they arrive at Starbase 617, however, Juliana learned that her request for transfer had been rejected.

"_Why_? Why would they reject it?" she demanded of Gage as they swept the nearly-empty Chimera to shoo out any stragglers. They were getting a full week's leave, according to Starfleet Command's most recent orders.

"Because, if I interpreted Admiral Barnett's words correctly, the Chimera is due a new captain."

"So?"

"Our requests have been put on hold pending the new Captain's choice of officers. They're giving the new captain full choice of his own pick."

"Why does that mean we'll get to stay?"

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed."  
"Do you know who it is?"

"No. But we can always hope." Gage smiled. Suddenly, a comm. beeped and she froze midstep.

"Base Command to Starship Chimera. Respond, please."

"This is Lieutenant Kirk, Medical. Go ahead, Base Command." Juliana took the hail without thinking.

"This is a warning. Captain Harper's replacement is en route to tour the ship. Alert any remaining crew members to present in prompt and orderly fashion. The captain's shuttle will be arriving in thirty minutes."

"Thank you, Base Command." She signed off first and looked at Gage, "Uh oh."

"I don't think there's anyone left besides us."

"Well, only one way to find out." She opened all-ship broadcast, "Attention any remaining Chimera crew, this is Lieutenant Kirk. Starfleet Command's replacement for Captain Harper is en route to tour the Chimera as we speak. If anyone is left, present for review in the Shuttle Bay." She turned to Gage, "I'll meet you down in the Shuttle Bay in twenty minutes."

"Good enough for me." Gage waved and she hurried to quarters, where she took a shower and put on a clean uniform. She just hoped Captain Harper's replacement was stricter about the gag-rule surrounding the Genesis Project. When she arrived in the Shuttle Bay at the appointed time, she was impressed by how many had emerged from the woodwork and presented.

"So much for a clean-sweep."

"These are the good ones." Gage whispered, "We can easily get back to Earth to fill out the rest of the compliment with them."

"And the rest?"

"Leave them with Harper, they seem to get along so well."

"I like that idea." She watched the shuttle come in and land and stood at attention, "Keep your fingers crossed we have better luck this time."

"Haven't stopped praying since I found out." He imitated her posture. A moment later, the Chimera's new captain emerged from the shuttle followed by a pilot. All Juliana could say about him was how _young _he was!

"How old?"

"You're twenty-one. I'd give him maybe twenty-four."

"Sounds right." She exhaled slowly, "I didn't know they came so young." The captain was pleasant and polite and shook hands with both of them, kissing the back of Juliana's hand. His name, he told them, was John Bryce.

"Command gave me free choice of my officers." He beamed, "Doctor Gage, you're my new CMO."

"Thank you, Captain Bryce." Gage seemed surprised by this.

"And the lady's division?" Captain Bryce turned his charm on Juliana, who forgot how to breathe.

"S-Science and Medical, Captain."

"Hmm. Any command experience?"

"The closest I've come to commanding anything in a combat situation was the Enterprise's Sickbay in the Mutara Nebula."

"The Genesis Incident. Bad business what they did to Doctor McCoy. Well, keeping the Sickbay running smooth is about the same as any other command. I'll see about giving you a new division."

"To…what, sir?" she hesitated to ask. He just smiled and kissed her hand.

"I don't have a First Officer."

"Y-yes, sir." She exhaled sharply. Not her idea of a smooth transition, but she already liked Bryce. They then took him on a full tour of the Chimera and set about transferring everything the crew had left behind. Bryce offered to let them take the shore-leave, but the consensus was to get away from Harper as fast as was politely possible. So, with a fraction of their original crew-strength, and little more than a token farewell to Captain Harper and the rest of the old Chimeras, Juliana got the starship pointed homeward with Captain Bryce and Doctor Gage.

The first time she stepped onto the Bridge in a command uniform, she felt ridiculously self-conscious. Captain Bryce was off the Bridge at the moment, down in Sickbay with Doctor Gage seeing to one of the ensigns, leaving Juliana in charge of the Bridge until he came back. She smoothed down the front of her jacket and took the center chair.

"Update, Mr. Harlen." She addressed the Chimera's helmsman.

"We'll make Spacedock in approximately 2.5 hours, Commander."

"Not good enough. See what we can coax out of the engines." She leaned back in the chair, fingers brushing the comm.-controls embedded on the arm at her left, "Engine Room. Mr. Blake, we need more speed. What can you do for me?"

"We're already running just a little under Warp 6, Commander."

"What is the Chimera's max?"

"Warp 7."

"Do it, Mr. Blake." She narrowed her eyes, "Would I be wrong to assume Captain Harper never let the engines open up?"

"No, ma'am."

"Bastard. Mr. Blake, Mr. Harlen, you have your orders."

"Aye, Commander." Harlen saluted, she imagined Blake doing the same in Engineering and listened carefully. Juliana heard the engines pick up and felt the slightest surge as the Chimera gained speed.

"Mr. Harlan, what is our new estimate?"

"A little over one standard hour, Commander."

"That's more like it." She settled in to wait for Captain Bryce.

Meanwhile, Jack Bryce felt the Chimera pick up speed. They had been cruising at Warp 5.9, a nice easy cruising speed. He cocked his head to one side and listened for the change in the engines. There it was.

"Something the matter, Captain?" Robert Gage queried.

"No. We've picked up speed."

"How can you know that?"

"I can hear it." He smirked, "And I can feel it. I'd say we have the Chimera running full speed by now."

"Why on earth would anyone run us at top speed?" It was clear Gage was confused by the change. Jack smirked and left the bedside, going to a neary comm.-unit.

"A moment, Doctor Gage. Sickbay to Bridge. Commander, what is our current estimated time of arrival at Spacedock?"

"1.5 hours, Captain."

"Good girl. Bryce out." He signed off and turned to Gage, grinning from ear to ear, "I knew I liked that girl."

"What'd she do this time?"

"We should be home in 1.5 standard hours, Doctor. A full hour ahead of schedule."

"Only she would push the Chimera that hard to get home early." Gage just shook his head. Jack suspected Juliana would use at least some of her shore-leave to spend time with her father and his officers.

As soon as the Chimera had docked and the crew debriefed and dismissed for a short leave, Juliana Kirk packed a single bag and headed for home. Forgoing a shuttle, she instead utilized the Chimera's transporters to beam straight from the Chimera to her father's apartment in San Francisco. It left her just outside the door. It was late, but she knew her father didn't keep normal hours. Raising one hand, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" she heard from the other side. The door opened for her and she stepped into the foyer. It was darker than she'd expected and she set her bag down by the door as it closed behind her. She heard voices and followed them into the living room where she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Ambassador Sarek!" she fell back into review stance, "My apologies, Ambassador, I wasn't aware the admiral already had company."

"Juliana! What are _you _doing here?" her father greeted her with a hug, "The Chimera wasn't due back in port for another two months!"

"Change of plans." She blushed, "And a few other changes along the way. I'm sorry, did I pick a bad time?"

"No! In fact, maybe you can help." Her father ushered her into the living room and made introductions, "Ambassador, this is my daughter Juliana Marcus. She served with us on the Enterprise."

"Yes, we've met before." Sarek refrained from shaking hands, "The Admiral tells me you were the very last person to have any manner of contact with my son before his death."

"I tried to stop him, sir."

"A noble but misguided attempt. May I?" He stretched out one hand and she knew what he wanted from her.

"Yes." A simple answer to a complicated request.

"I would not ask if it was not of the utmost importance and of the essence. I must know."

"I understand, Ambassador." She didn't break eye-contact with the Vulcan Ambassador.

"My mind to your mind, my thoughts to yours." The words washed over her at the same time the darkness before memory did. Juliana had never experienced a Vulcan mind-meld before and would later reflect that it was the most bizarre, intense thing she'd ever been through in her life. She saw everything Sarek saw sifting through her memories to find those regarding the battle with the Reliant and Captain Spock's death. Everything she had spent so long suppressing, all the memories and feelings.

"I do not understand." Sarek sounded almost disoriented as he released her. Juliana sank to the floor, caught by her father.

James Kirk caught his daughter as she fainted, startled by her reaction to the mind-meld.

"Julie!" he looked at Sarek, "What did you do to her?"

"The memories of Spock's death are painful for her, like so many open wounds. I now know who carries my son's_ katra_."

"Will she be alright?" He carried Juliana to a couch and laid her down.

"Let her sleep. You must find Doctor McCoy and return him to the Genesis planet."

"But _how_?"

"Find a way. You _must _find a way."

"What about Juliana?"

"She must go with you. My son has done something very unusual for a Vulcan near his time of death."

"You told me your people pass on their _katras _to others. What did Spock do differently?"

"Part of your daughter's erratic behavior and her reaction to the mind-meld come from what she now carries within her subconscious mind." Sarek looked sad, if James had to put a label on the man's expression, but he also seemed relieved, "My son _should _have asked her permission, as he should have asked Doctor McCoy, and yet I understand why he did not."

"Erratic behavior?" he didn't understand.

"Over the past few months since you abandoned the Genesis planet, and my son's body, your daughter has been reassigned to the U.S.S. Chimera where she found no understanding from her shipmates or her captain. The laws forbidding us to speak of the Genesis Project apparently meant nothing to Captain Harper."

"Was she disciplined?"

"She was ordered to report to the Ship's Psychologist for evaluation due to passive hostility and refusal to follow orders."

"Oh, Julie." He looked at his daughter, wondering how much trouble she would get into for this mess.

"She has since been reassigned to a new division and a new post aboard the Chimera under a new captain."

"But she's…carrying part of Spock's soul? I didn't know that was possible!"

"Was she very familiar with my son?"

"No, she kept her distance from us. I _know _she tried to stop him, Bones and Scotty told me so, but…I wasn't aware of any extant familiarity between them." James raked one hand through his hair, "Will she go mad?"

"I could not tell you."

"What can I _do_?"

"Find a way to return my son's body to Vulcan, bring him to Mount Seleya, and bring with you Doctor McCoy and your daughter. That is all I ask."

"I'll find a way. If I have to pull rank and get Juliana put on medical leave, I'll do it." Maybe he _would _do that, just for her own sake. He saw Sarek to the door, "Do you know who the Chimera's CMO is? Was he replaced?"

"Yes, I believe it is Doctor Robert Gage."

"Thank you, Sarek."

"Live long and prosper, Kirk."

"Live long and prosper, Ambassador." He let the man go and moved Juliana to a bedroom. Then he called his crew and told them to stand by for further orders, he was planning on going _back _to the Genesis planet and he was going to need their help. Then, he looked up Robert Gage, CMO. Gage had an apartment three blocks away, so he changed into a clean uniform and headed out. If anyone could help him get Juliana off active duty, it was Gage. He was the CMO, he probably knew more about Juliana's condition than anyone else in Starfleet.


	4. Part One :: Chapter Four

Part One :: Chapter Four

Robert Gage was a little surprised when his door chimed, signaling a visitor, and even more so when he called for them to come in and got Admiral Kirk.

"Admiral! This is unexpected! How can I help you?"

"My daughter."

"Juliana? What kind of trouble is she in now?" he could only imagine.

"She seems to be suffering the after-effects of a Vulcan mind-meld, and I need to take her to the home-world. In order to do _that_, however, she needs to be put on medical leave by her CMO."

"What?"

"Do I have to repeat myself, doctor?"

"No! No, sir, I'm just…how did _that _happen?"

"She doesn't talk about the Reliant or the Genesis Project, does she?" Kirk paced the living room, intent and in full command.

"No, sir."

"Did she say anything to you?"

"In all confidence, sir."

"Good, I don't want to know." Kirk faced him, "I need your help, Doctor Gage, as I need no one else's. Put Juliana Marcus on medical leave for a month and surrender her to my care."

"Certainly, Admiral. Captain Bryce won't like it, but seniority comes first." He got up, having sat down as he tried to process all of the information given to him.

"I'll stay in touch, then." Kirk smiled for the first time and Robert shook hands with him. Once the man was gone, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. How was he supposed to put Juliana Marcus on mandatory medical leave for a _month_? What was Admiral Kirk up to?

* * *

When James arrived home, it was dark in the apartment. The first thing he noticed was the subtle scent of Vulcan incense. A moment later, he caught sight of the figure standing by the window, silhouetted against the city lights.

"Why did you leave me there?" The voice that spoke was Juliana's, but the words weren't hers. He had spoken more with Sarek and so the question didn't surprise him. There was a deeper, more husky tone to his daughter's voice, she spoke for the soul of Spock. James sighed and moved away from the door.

"I didn't have any choice. But I'm going back for you. I'll take you home to Mount Seleya, just like you told me."

"Dad?"

"I'm here, Juliana."

"Why are we going to Mount Seleya? I can't go with you, I'm assigned to the Chimera." Juliana turned to him, and he couldn't miss the haunted light in her eyes. Was she aware that Spock had given her part of his _katra_?

"I've spoken to Ambassador Sarek and Doctor Gage. It's imperative you come with us to Vulcan."

"You put me on medical leave?"

"And I know why you've been acting so out of sorts since Spock's death." He reached out and rested one hand carefully on her shoulder, half-expecting her to shy from the contact as Spock would have.

"Why did he trust me? Why did he trust me with…_this_?"

"I don't know what his logic was, it always seemed to escape me in moments like that. Were you aware of it?"

"I knew he was doing something, but I was still reeling from watching him do it to Doctor McCoy I didn't understand that he was giving me what was left."

"There must have been some reason he only gave Bones part of his _katra _and not all of it." He put one arm around her shoulders, realized she was still in uniform. She leaned against him, looking out the window.

"All of the memories that keep me awake at night, that set me off against strangers, are of you." She sounded weak, as if she had spent hours crying, "Of you and Spock together, doing everything. I didn't know you could play chess."

"Oh, we used to play chess every night after dinner. But we haven't played in years." Suddenly, it all made sense. Despite his close friendship with both Bones and himself, Spock hadn't entrusted his most treasured memories to Bones. Spock had given _those _memories to Juliana. But, why?

"Don't grieve, Admiral." There was Spock again, "It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"Or the one." He turned and kissed Juliana on the temple, "Get some sleep, Julie, you need it."

"Good night, Dad." She smiled, hugged him, and vanished into the guest-room. He went around the apartment making sure all the lights were off, extinguished the incense, and went to bed. He didn't sleep well at all, he was so worried about Juliana, Bones, and getting back to Genesis to find Spock. How would he _do _that? Could he recruit the Chimera? Oh, no, he couldn't do that, he was already in enough trouble with Starfleet Command. He couldn't drag the whole crew into this mess. Not that he saw Jack Bryce saying _no _to this kind of adventure, but the kid was still young. He had a whole career ahead of him, no sense cutting it short with a court-martial for accessory to the lawlessness James was about to commit.

* * *

Three days later, James Kirk put a plan into action, rescued Leonard McCoy from Starfleet Security, stole the Enterprise from Spacedock, and warped to Genesis to save his best friend. He left behind Nyota Uhura and Juliana Marcus, who would meet them at the rendezvous on Vulcan. He had pulled a few strings to get the Chimera to take them to Vulcan, calling on seniority to get them. Captain Bryce offered his assistance at Genesis, but Kirk just wanted him to look after the girls, especially Juliana. Promising to keep a close eye on Juliana, Bryce reminded him that if he needed reinforcements, he was available.

While her father broke Starfleet law to save his best friend, Juliana Kirk found herself under close observation in the temple on Mount Seleya. The High Priestess had never seen anything like it before, and couldn't promise the _fal-tor-pan _ceremony would actually work if the _katra _had been divided between two parties before the death of the Vulcan to whom it belonged. It wasn't so much that Juliana really minded the memories, but she could do without the erratic behavior that was a side-effect of _na'Tha'thhya_. But Ambassador Sarek promised they would try, and that was all she could ask of them.

* * *

When the Enterprise's command crew arrived on Vulcan a few days later, they arrived in fashion. Two Starfleet shuttles escorted a Klingon warbird, which carried the Enterprise bridge-crew and their fallen comrade. Juliana knew Spock was aboard because she could _feel _him. As the vessels landed, she joined Commander Uhura and went down from the temple to greet the landing parties. Her father emerged from the warbird with his officers, bearing a litter on which they had laid Spock. From the shuttles came Captain Bryce, Doctor Gage, and Juliana's brother David with Lieutenant Saavik. She hugged her father and then moved on to greet David and Saavik. They went up to the chamber where Juliana had spent most of her stay meditating and preparing for this exact moment. As T'Lar called upon Sarek to decide the fate of his son, Juliana was startled by a touch to her sleeve. It was Saavik, who took her hand in an _el'ru'esta_.

"_Dakh pthak, t'hy'la._" Saavik whispered as Sarek announced that he wished for the _fal-tor-pan_, the refusion of body and _katra_.

"What you seek has not been done since ages past, and then only in legend." T'Lar announced, "Your request is not logical."

"Forgive me, T'Lar." Sarek amended, "My…logic is uncertain where my son is concerned." If this had any effect on T'Lar, they couldn't see it. She just looked at the officers, at Juliana and Saavik.

"Who are the keepers of the _katra_?" T'Lar asked officiously. Juliana looked at Saavik and pulled away reluctantly to join Doctor McCoy.

"We are." She spoke for both of them.

"McCoy, Leonard H., son of David." Doctor McCoy named himself.

"And the child who carries the _katra_?"

"Marcus, Juliana R., daughter of…Kirk." She settled with the name she knew the Vulcans were familiar with. T'Lar then informed them that as they were Human they couldn't possibly begin to understand the enormity of what Sarek had asked of them. Juliana understood all to _well _the enormity of what Sarek had asked of them, she just wanted her sanity back, she wanted to sleep at night without her Captain's voice whispering in her dreams, begging to be returned to Mount Seleya.

_ "Take me home." _He would say. She looked at the still figure on the altar.

_You _are _home, Captain. _She thought as T'Lar ordered them to choose between the safety of madness or the danger of trying to re-fuse Spock's _katra _from two separate Keepers.

"We choose the danger." Juliana spoke up for both of them, knowing it was the only choice before them. Sarek came to fetch Doctor McCoy to the altar, Saavik rested one hand on Juliana's jacket. She hesitated only a moment. When they reached the altar, where two stone beds were set, and one lower before the feet of T'Lar, Juliana felt the first twinge of fear deep in her gut. Saavik took her hand briefly and she held her breath long enough to compose herself. The soporific T'Lar had given her that morning took full effect and she swooned.

_Help me! _she didn't know if it was her own voice that made the plea, or Spock's, her concept of time and space was completely thrown out of balance and all she was aware of were images flashing before her eyes and disappearing into an oppressive darkness.

_Spock! _she cried out in the mental darkness, _Spock! _

_I am here. _Three words, three beautiful words, followed by a growing light. She turned towards that light and let it envelope her. It was like a hug, a bright, _warm_ hug. Juliana was then aware of someone calling her by name.

_Juliana! Juliana, t'hy'la. Come back. _

_ Saavik! _she reached for the new presence in her mind, turning away from the safety of Spock's mind, which was now restored. Juliana must have physically reached out, a hand caught hers, grounded her to reality, and her eyes flew open. Saavik knelt over her, eyes full of concern. She blinked several times in the red sunlight and looked around.

"Saavik?"

"You are safe, Juliana." The voice that answered wasn't Saavik's. Ambassador Sarek offered her his hand and she let them pull her off the litter. She felt a little woozy, a little light-headed, but the greater disorientation that had come from carrying Spock's _katra_ was gone. She could still feel him and wondered if that would ever go away. Part of her didn't want it to go away, she was so used to _having _Spock there it was almost natural.


	5. Part One :: Chapter Five

Chapter Five

When the _fal-tor-pan _ceremony concluded, James Kirk had no way of knowing if it had succeeded or failed. Bones looked okay, but father's intuition told him all was _not _well with Juliana. He didn't know of any specific ill effect, but when Sarek came down with Bones and Saavik _carrying _Juliana, he knew it was bad. He knew they had drugged Juliana beforehand for the sake of easing the process of refusion. Since T'Lar couldn't make physical contact with Juliana as she did with Spock and Bones, she needed some way to make contact _with _Juliana and an altered mental state had been deemed the wisest course of action. He was beginning to think otherwise. When Bones reassured James that _he _was fine, part of James cried out in objection. He had known Sarek for years, but he didn't think he'd ever seen the Ambassador as he did now. The image of Sarek carrying Juliana, holding her as one might a child of ten years, with all the care and compassion of a father, would stay with him forever. James reached out and laid one hand on his daughter's forehead. Her skin was warm and damp, but not feverish.

"What about Julie?" he dared to ask.

"I do not know why she has lost consciousness a second time. Neither Spock nor McCoy have shown ill effect." Sarek frowned, "There is something within her subconsciousness that refused to be severed with the _fal-tor-pan_."

"A _what_?"

"I am uncertain as to it's character or origins, but I did not sense any hostility or danger towards your daughter. She is exhausted, Kirk."

"She would be. Thank you, Sarek." He sighed, wishing he had the nerve to ask for his daughter. Spock came down from the altar and they waited for something to happen. Spock almost walked right past all of them, but at the sight of his father bearing the unconscious Human girl to whom he had entrusted his most cherished memories and the remaining part of his _katra_, he stopped. It wasn't a gradual stop, either. James had known Spock for _years_, and he could honestly say the man truly ground to a halt. Spock turned to his father, shoved back the hood of his white robe, and looked so intently at Juliana James was just dying to know what he thought of the situation. Father and son spoke so quietly James couldn't hear them and he was standing four feet away. Sarek surrendered Juliana to Spock, who cradled her with uncharacteristic compassion, and James finally remembered how to breathe. After what seemed an eternity of silence, Spock turned to _him_ with a puzzled expression.

"My father says you have been my friend. You came back for me."

"You would have done the same for me." He said quietly.

"Why would you do this?"

"Because the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many. _She _understood that." he touched his daughter's hand, "_She _was willing to take the risk." Spock turned away, head bowed, but when he turned again he wore a determined expression.

"I have been…and always shall be…your friend." His last words, spoken by the living. James fought off a smile.

"Yes. Yes, Spock."

"The ship." Spock was beginning to remember, he could see it in his First Officer's expressive eyes, "Out of danger?"

"You saved the ship." He whispered, "You saved us all. Don't you _remember_?" A brief flash of some emotion flickered across Spock's face and he looked from the girl in his arms to James, and he saw the understanding take root, the memory.

"Jim." A simple statement of his name had never meant so much, "You're name is Jim."

"Yes!" James wanted to fall to his knees and weep. Spock turned, looked at the rest of them, and then looked at Juliana, who was finally beginning to stir.

"_Her _name is…Juliana."

"Yes, Spock. Her name _is _Juliana." He smiled, selfishly relieved.

"S-Spock?" Juliana's voice startled them both, but Spock didn't lessen his grip. James actually saw it tighten. Strange. Hazel eyes opened slowly and focused on the first thing she saw. Juliana smiled the lazy, disoriented smile of the newly conscious, "Do you remember?"

"Yes. I remember." Spock's expression was unlike anything James had seen before. Juliana reached up, touched the face belonging to the voice that had spoken to her in dreams and during her waking hours.

"You need a haircut, Captain." It was such a bizarre thing to say, James choked. Spock then did the most uncharacteristic thing. He _laughed_. Setting Juliana on her feet, Spock hugged her tightly. That broke the ice and the rest of them came for closer contact. James watched as Juliana ducked out of Spock's embrace and wondered if the presence Sarek had detected earlier wasn't his son's essence lingering in Juliana's subconscious mind. While everyone was busy petting Spock's robe and talking to him, with every word and phrase triggering more memories, there was a different kind of reunion going on that only James really witnessed. Sarek saw it, but remained passive. Juliana approached Saavik, and reached out with unsteady fingers to brush the sleeve of Saavik's coat. Saavik turned at the timid, questing touch and James watched, fascinated, as the girls touched fingers in the fashion of bonded mates. Maybe there was a secondary cause to Juliana's erratic behavior as reported aboard the U.S.S. Chimera?

"Fascinating." He breathed, shaking his head.

"Jim." Spock's voice, joined by his hand, distracted James from the beautiful thing he watched. But only for a moment. As the others chatted, he and Spock watched the girls take quiet leave, stopping long enough to offer their regards to Sarek and then disappearing together.

"What are your thoughts?"

"Awe." He smiled at Spock, "My daughter, of whom I knew precious little before, is, by all appearances, the _t'hy'la_ of Lieutenant Saavik. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Why not?"

"Because I trust Vulcans." He smiled, "Fully, innately, and with everything that makes _me _Human."

"I understand." Spock said nothing more on the matter, and James knew he really _did _understand.

* * *

A year later, Juliana received a commission notice from Starfleet Command. She was being reassigned to the Enterprise-A to her old post in Sickbay. She wasn't sure if that was bad news or good fortune, and she didn't find out until she reported to Sickbay for duty shortly before launch. An orderlie directed her to the bridge if she wanted to report to the CMO, so she found her way up. As soon as she stepped onto the bridge, all she felt was relief.

"Dad!" it was the first thing out of her mouth. The officers gathered on the bridge prior to official launch all turned and Juliana bit back a smile.

"Julie? What are _you _doing here?"

"Somebody in Command must have been feeling generous."

"I'll be damned." The Captain looked smug. Juliana left the doors and exchanged greetings with the command crew.

"So, Bones, do you think you can handle her?"

"I wouldn't trust the Sickbay to anyone else but Julie Marcus."

"You're too kind, Doctor McCoy. I thought I was on to something promising when I started hearing _him_ up _here _again." Juliana shot the First Officer a severe look, he just shrugged, "There _are _a few things I really don't need to know, Commander."

"My apologies, Commander Marcus." She swore the bloody Vulcan smirked. The others chuckled, and her ire was soothed by a brief touch between the shoulder-blades as Saavik crept up behind her. After all pleasantries were aside, they scattered to their places and got underway.


	6. Part One :: Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Juliana served her father for six years, nurtured her friendship with Spock and her intimate relationship with Saavik, and took orders from Doctor McCoy no matter what if she had an objection or otherwise. In her seventh year as a commissioned officer, she was assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise-B as a token of goodwill from Starfleet Command and because, as one of the Admirals said, it wasn't an Enterprise without a Kirk on the bridge. She was _on _the bridge when the Enterprise-B's honored guests arrived after much excited speculation. She was at tactical with Demora Sulu at helm beside her when the reporters gathered on the bridge to oversee and cover the launch suddenly went wild.

"What's going on?" She turned to look over her shoulder, "Looks like we've got company, Mori."

"Hmph. Look at them, like crows fighting over a carcass. Pathetic." Demora shook her head derisively and turned back to her console. Juliana watched the excitable reporters, then caught a glimpse of a red uniform sleeve between two of them. Craning, she finally caught sight of the officers themselves when Captain Harriman finally shooed the press away to give the guests breathing room. Without thinking twice, Juliana erupted out of her chair and cleared the deck with more speed than she had used in a long time.

"Dad!"

"Julie!"

"So much for retirement." She threw her arms around her father, who had retired just a few months earlier. He laughed, pushed her away, and looked her over.

"Damn, Julie. Now I _really _feel old."

"Oh I'm sure." She looked over her father's shoulder and her smile grew wicked, "Oh, and how much begging did he have to do to get _you _two to tag along for the fun of it?"

"No begging needed, lass." Scotty promised as she peeled away from her father to greet the other two former Enterprise officers. After things had calmed down, Juliana quietly snickered when Captain Harriman insisted that her father give the launch orders despite his best arguments. Not far out, however, disaster reared it's ugliest of heads and Juliana and the crew found themselves fighting to save El-Aurian refugees from an energy ribbon. Getting caught _in _the ribbon itself, all of Juliana's training kicked in and she worked frantically alongside her father, Scotty, and Captain Harriman to free the Enterprise-B before they too were destroyed.

"A photon blast might work, but we don't _have _any." Scotty looked frazzled. Juliana got two paces from the console where they fought for control of the ship when it hit her.

"The deflector!"

"What?"

"Modify the navigational deflector to discharge a resonance blast! It'll have the same effect as a photon torpedo."

"Y'know, I think that'll work. Smart thinking, Julie."

"I'll go down there. It's down in Engineering." Harriman was halfway across the deck before her father stopped him.

"No, _I'll _do it. Better me than you."

"Be careful, captain." Harriman exchanged salutes with her father, who turned to her next.

"Commander Kirk."

"Captain?"

"Hold your post, no matter _what_."

"Aye, sir."

"As you were, Commander." With that, he was gone. No formal goodbye, nothing. No reassurance this crazy idea would actually work, no promise the Kirks could get out of this one unscathed. The wait was interminable, but finally the order came to discharge the resonance blast. Juliana raced to the controls and activated the navigational deflector. The resulting blast propelled the Enterprise-B safely away from the energy ribbon, but a concussion shook the retreating starship and knocked those still standing to the deck. Juliana went down on her knees.

"What was _that_?"

"Damage report!" Harriman barked. When it came in that the concussion had been a hull-breach in Main Engineering caused by a arc of energy from the ribbon, Juliana went straight for the intercom.

"Bridge to Main Engineering. Captain Kirk, respond." Nothing but static, she tried again, "Bridge to Captain Kirk, respond. Captain, I'm not getting any response from Captain Kirk."

"Something's wrong. Come on. Scott, Kirk, you're with me." Harriman handed the bridge to his first officer and led the charge to Main Engineering. When they arrived, she took one look at the wreckage and choked.

"My God!" The sound of Commander Chekov's voice startled Juliana, "Was anybody in here?" Ignoring the officers behind her, Juliana stepped into Main Engineering, picking her way through the debris, searching for any lifesigns, any sign of her father.

"...Aye." Scotty was almost in tears behind her. She caught sight of something under a piece of paneling and she kicked it aside to reveal her father's communicator. His Starfleet badge lay beside it, bent out of shape by the sheer force of the distortion that had opened the gash in Main Engineering.

"Commander?" Harriman called, "Do you see anything?" She got unsteadily to her feet, her mind racing, thinking she should have stopped him, or at _least _said goodbye.

"Julie?" Scotty called as she clipped the communicator onto her belt and tucked the badge into a pocket. She turned to them, looking around the room.

"We have another name for the list of deceased." She stepped over a collapsed strut, "Captain James T. Kirk gave his life to save this ship." _And I never said goodbye._ As she reached the damaged entrance, she stumbled and fell forward. Scotty caught her as she blacked out, breaking her fall.

_Spock! _she cried out in her mind, _Spock…never said goodbye! _She didn't realize her cry would travel space to the same man she called for.

* * *

Spock knew right away that something terrible had happened. Where once there had been a friendly, constant presence in his mind there was nothing, only a cold blank. Before he could comprehend the absence, he heard a voice, a distant echo.

_Spock! _he recognized the voice right away and felt his heart clench in fear.

"Juliana?" he spoke her name in a whisper, "What happened?"

_Spock…never said goodbye! _Her speech was stuttered, then there was nothing. Fearing the worst, he followed her echo. She was safe, merely unconscious. Wounded? What had happened? And what had she said about forgetting to say goodbye? As Spock pulled his emotions into some mode of order, he stumbled across that emptiness and paused. What was missing?

"Jim?" why he spoke the name aloud, he wasn't sure. But he received no answer. Only silence. Then he understood. Jim Kirk, his best friend, his captain, his brother, had died. Deep sadness overwhelmed him and for once in his life, Spock wept openly.

* * *

Several hours later, after shedding tears for Jim and meditating on the emptiness, Spock took a ship to Earth where he met the Enterprise-B limping back from her first outing. He watched from one of the lounges in Spacedock as the new Enterprise limped into her berth and then went to the proper shuttle-dock to welcome his surviving friends home safely. When Pavel Chekov and Montgomery Scott staggered off the first shuttle, Spock's heart went out to them. They looked as though they hadn't slept or eaten since the death of their mutual friend and captain. He suspected they hadn't. He said nothing to them as they sought his company, somehow knowing he was there for them, watching for Juliana Kirk. She emerged finally under the arm of a dark-skinned El-Aurian woman.

_Juliana. _Spock didn't dare speak her name aloud. Her head came up and he winced. Juliana had spent the journey home weeping. No, no, it wasn't weeping but sobbing. He extended one hand to her and she quietly detached from the El-Aurian, who looked at Spock and nodded in understanding to whatever Juliana said to her. A moment later, he had his arms full. Spock just held Juliana, stroking her hair.

_I never said goodbye! I didn't even _think _about it! Spock!_

_Hush, dear one. _He soothed, dropping his head to kiss her hair, _Hush, Juliana. _Wrapping one arm around her, he guided her off the docking platform.


	7. Intermission Part One

Intermission One

In the after-math of the Nexus disaster, Juliana made a request of Spock, Doctor McCoy, and Doctor Gage. She couldn't imagine living without her father, but suicide was far too permanent so she asked to be put into full cryo-stasis until the Federation had need of a Kirk again. They did it for her and she ended up in stasis for seventy-two years before Starfleet Command had her reanimated. It was some irony that she was being assigned to an Enterprise, but who was _she _to complain? An Enterprise was an Enterprise was an Enterprise, and Spock seemed to think the Captain a very decent Human. It couldn't be _all _bad, really. Could it? What was she getting herself into?


	8. Part Two :: Chapter One

AN: Here's the beginning of the crossover with TNG! Enjoy it!

* * *

Part Two :: Chapter One

2365...Earth, Sol System, Alpha Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy

Juliana Kirk stood at the observation window overlooking Dock 24 at parade-rest, hands clasped behind her back. Every now and then she shrugged. It wasn't that she was speaking to anyone, for she stood alone, but rather she was adjusting to the set of her duty uniform. For a moment, Juliana was nostalgic for the old duty uniforms of her early career. Suddenly, a flash of movement outside the window, just at the corner of her vision, got her attention. Duty uniforms forgotten, she turned to watch the starship as it glided past the window and made berth. Only having been on active duty for a year, she recognized the lines of an Enterprise.

"Oh, would you _look _at that!" She touched the glass, "She's lovely!" Granted the last starship Juliana had seen had been the doomed Enterprise-B, this was a nice change. She looked at the padd in her other hand, reading the data on the glowing screen. It was her new orders. This would happen quickly, she only had a few minutes left on Earth. Clearing the screen, she reached down and scooped up the single bag at her feet, which held a toiletry bag and a few clean uniforms as well as various items of sentimental value that had been held in trust for her by a dear family friend. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Juliana left the observation window and changed the screen of her padd. When it showed the Starfleet icon against a blue screen, she smiled.

"Enter command authorization code." The computerized voice said in a drone.

"Kirk Delta Nine Oh Seven Seven Three."

"Name of party?"

"Doctor Juliana Kirk, Earth, to Ambassador Spock, Vulcan." She waited a full minute as the computer searched for and found the proper transmission codes. A moment later, the call went through. She smiled.

"Good morning, old friend."

"Good morning, Juliana." Spock smiled, "Where are you?"

"I'm about to board my new commission. The Flagship's in, and apparently in need of a replacement CMO for at least a year. Care to guess who's name came up on the rosters?"

"Congratulations, Juliana. I know Captain Picard. He is a decent fellow for a Human."

"Anything I should know about him before I set foot on his ship?"

"Don't be surprised if it takes a while for things to start getting done in a timely fashion."

"Nothing like a living legend. What did they used to say about us?"

"It's not an Enterprise…"

"Without a Kirk on the Bridge. Or, in my case, the Sickbay. God, I haven't touched one of _those _in _years_! I think Bones would roll over in his grave if he knew where I was going." She looked up for a moment and frowned, "I'm nearly to the docking platform, Spock, I can't talk long."

"I understand. Good luck, Commander. Live long and prosper."

"Peace and long life, Ambassador. I'll make contact again at the soonest." She shut down her padd, tucked it into her bag, and trotted onto the platform, ducking into the waiting personnel shuttle just as the doors slid shut. Finding a seat, she ignored the curious glances and rising whispers as people started to recognize her. When they docked on the Enterprise-D, she felt a flutter of nerves in her gut and chuckled. What was she so _nervous _about? It was an Enterprise, for god's sake! Departing the shuttle first, she set foot on the deck of the shuttle-bay and looked around briefly.

"Doctor Kirk?" a voice called from off to one side. Juliana jumped, spun on her heel, and exhaled sharply.

"Doctor Crusher?" she hurried to the attractive middle-aged woman waving to her, "I'm sorry I'm late. I nearly missed the shuttle up."

"No problem. Welcome aboard the Enterprise-D. Or should I say…welcome home?"

"Not yet." She shook hands with the woman, "I haven't set foot on a starship since 2293, let alone an Enterprise. Forgive any nostalgia."

"Advance forgiveness and perfect understanding." Crusher smiled, "Come on, I'll give you the royal tour, show you Sickbay. Maybe the Bridge, if you're feeling brave enough?"

"Might as well, I assume I'll be spending a decent amount of my time there."

"He likes visuals."

"Understandable." She couldn't help looking around as they moved through the ship, "Whoa. _This _is nothing like the Enterprise-B."

"Ship-building has come a long way in the last seventy-two years, Doctor."

"I can see that. Damn." She whistled softly. It would probably take her a bloody month of Sundays to figure out this place and find her way to the Bridge without getting lost. Sickbay, however, was familiar ground even if the technology was far more advanced. After getting her settled into quarters and showing her around Sickbay, Crusher took her to the Enterprise-D's Ten Forward, which Juliana _knew _she'd be able to find at any time of day. In Ten Forward, she was introduced to Guinan and got along with her right away.

"Once you're all settled in and debriefed, you and I need to have a chat, Commander." Guinan smiled, "I know you from somewhere."

"I know, the feeling is entirely mutual." She returned Guinan's smile, shook hands with the bartender, and wondered _why _she knew the woman. As they left Ten Forward, Crusher looked at her curiously.

"You know Guinan?"

"I think so, she _looks _so familiar. But I just don't know _why_. What's her species?"

"El-Aurian."

"I…whoa, wait a minute." It was starting to come back, just like they'd said it would, "El-Aurian? Was she…uh. Hmm."

"Remember something?"

"I sure hope you have a Counselor, I need to talk to somebody."

"I'll introduce you to Deanna next, she's our Ship's Counselor."

"Thank god." Juliana raked her fingers through her hair, wondering not for the first time _why _she had cut it so short before going into stasis. Before 2293, her hair had fallen nearly to the small of her back, now it barely hit the collar of her uniform. Shaking her head, she kept pace with Crusher, who kept up a steady stream of conversation as they walked.

* * *

After a thorough tour of the Enterprise that avoided the Bridge on her own request, and meeting several of the senior officers with whom she would be serving, Juliana said goodbye to Doctor Crusher.

"If you need _anything_ while you're out, Doctor Kirk, just call."

"Thank you, Doctor Crusher, I'll remember that." She waved as the woman boarded the personnel shuttle, watched it lift off, disappear, and sighed. Now it was time for _her _to disappear. She took refuge in Sickbay and spent a few minutes rearranging the CMO's office. Juliana tried to move as little as possible, but there wasn't much left. She set a model of the Enterprise on the desk, and unpacked the photographs of her family. Setting them up in order, she paused on the photograph of her father, taken during his tenure as Rear Admiral, and leaned back in the chair.

"What would you say, Dad? What would you _do_ if you knew where I was?" she rubbed the glass with her thumb, "You'd probably laugh at me. Me, CMO of an Enterprise. Doctor McCoy would roll over in his grave." Setting the picture down, she went to the viewport and opened the shield so she could look out. She felt the minute vibrations, heard the tone-change, and smiled as they slid out of Spacedock and entered open space at last. The first glimpse of space itself never failed to thrill her, and she folded her hands behind her back as she watched them. She saw Spacedock as they turned away, and then a blur as they went to warp. Mesmerized by the warp-stars, she lost track of time and was startled when the door chime sounded. She straightened and looked over her shoulder, "Come in." She turned back to the port as her door opened to admit her caller.

"I haven't had a chance to formally welcome you aboard the Enterprise, though I understand you've gotten the full treatment from my officers."

"Captain!" she turned sharply, "My apologies, sir."

"Not necessary." The captain, a tall, athletic gentleman of sixty, just smiled, "It seems you've settled well."

"Yes, thank you." She folded her hands behind her back and wondered how he would handle having her as Doctor Crusher's replacement.

"You came highly recommended, Doctor. Starfleet Command seems to have a great deal of faith in you."

"That's what frightens me." She shook her head, looking around the office, "Do you trust me?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Thank you." She smiled, "It's not just my name, is it?"

"Oh no, I've read your records. Impressive service. Three Enterprises, family service, a promotion, very promising."

"Thank you, Captain." She was truly grateful. After a few more questions and answers, she was dismissed. A check of her watch showed it was almost time for dinner. No wonder her stomach was starting to growl. Hoping she wouldn't get _too _lost, she set off for the mess-hall. Finding it, she got something to eat and tucked herself into a corner. She wasn't left alone for long, Deanna Troi found her and asked if she might like some company.

"Make yourself at home, Counselor. Not that I'll be any fun." She settled back and tried to gauge how long it would take to get used to not only being in active service again, but to a ship this size.

* * *

Despite her worries, Juliana adapted quickly to the pace of things on the Enterprise and soon gained the respect of her fellow officers. She developed an unusually strong bond with Wesley Crusher, which happened entirely on accident when he broke his arm falling down a ladder in Engineering. She suspected one reason he was willing to befriend her was because they both shared the loss of a father. When Doctor Crusher returned a year later, she stepped down from her post as CMO and was fully prepared to move on to a new commission, but her friends stopped her.

Juliana sat at the desk in her quarters, trying to find the words for her letter of resignation. Nothing came, she had erased and restarted so many times. Tossing aside the padd, she put her head in both hands and closed her eyes. Her door chimed and she slumped forwards, resting her head on folded arms, eying her bags sitting on the bed, "Come in."

"Doctor Kirk?" Wesley Crusher called from the main room.

"Come in, Wesley." She smiled and sat up, "I'm here." Wesley padded into the bedroom, looked around, and took note of her bag sitting on the bed.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I don't know, Wes." She pushed back and got to her feet, wandering the bedroom, "I…don't know."

"What's _this_?" he found the padd, "You're _leaving_?"

"If Captain Picard wants me to stay, I will."

"What if _I _want you to stay?"

"Do you?"

"Doc, you're the only person who understands me, you don't judge me for anything." He looked sad, "Please stay?"

"That's at the captain's discretion, Wes. Your mom is back, and I'm not CMO anymore, I don't know _what _I am." Suddenly, her comm. rang.

"Bridge to Doctor Kirk."

"Kirk here."

"Doctor, report to the Ready Room immediately."

"Right away, Captain." She sighed and took the padd from Wesley, "Wish me luck."

"I'm coming." He tagged along as she left her quarters. As they made their way to the Ready Room, she read the words on the screen, adding to them as the right words started coming.

**Stardate ****43484.78**

**I, Juliana R. Kirk, Commander, hereby submit my letter of official resignation from duty as an officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-D NCC-1701. At the discretion of Captain Picard, I resign my post as Medical Officer and await reassignment at Starfleet Command's behest. **

**Composed aboard U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D **

**November 17, 2365**

When they entered the Ready Room, Picard told them to sit down. Without a word, Juliana slid her padd across the table. Picard took it, read it, handed it off to Commander Riker, and studied her without a word. It made it's way around the table until they had all read it.

"Does anyone think there was a good cause for the letter of resignation submitted by Doctor Kirk?"

"No."

"Quite simple, then." he leaned over and cleared the screen, "Request denied, Doctor, you get to stay."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Told ya." Wesley whispered, nudging her in the ribs. She got a lot of grief for thinking she could just pack up and leave without telling someone, or for thinking there wasn't a place for her on the Enterprise, and spent the remainder of her day with her friends. That night, they celebrated with a communal dinner.


	9. Part Two :: Chapter Two

AN: I took a few liberties with the idea presented in the TNG episode "Rascals", here's the result. I had a lot of fun writing Picard and Juliana as children, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Part Two :: Chapter Two

Juliana gave four years to the Enterprise-D, and hoped to give _more_. In 2369, however, an energy anomaly struck the Fermi during a mission to Marlonia. It turned out to be a molecular reversion field, which ended up destroying the Fermi and made safe transport difficult, but they finally landed on the Enterprise's transporter platform. Literally landed, Juliana ended up underneath the Captain.

"Ow! Get _off_!" She snapped, bucking him off. The others were staggering or scrambling to stand up, and almost instantly Juliana knew something was wrong. She gulped and looked down at herself, "Oh, that's not good."

"What just happened?" Guinan helped Ro Laren to her feet. Juliana looked at the Captain, who wore an identical expression of shock.

"The molecular reversion field!" they cried together.

"We're…_young_!" Picard did an about-face, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

"But _how _young?" she scratched her head, "This is…not good."

"Transporters to Sickbay." Commander Riker didn't look away from them even once, "Beverley, you'd better get down here. We've got a…situation."

"Did you recover the Away Team?"

"That's the problem."

"Hey, you're not the one who aged backwards here, Commander!" Juliana snapped. Picard wouldn't sit still, and Juliana finally reached up, grabbed him by the back of his uniform, and dragged him down. He yelped, toppled off-balance, and they both went flying backwards off the platform.

"Ow! Oh, not again!" She shoved him off, "Geeze!"

"I'm sorry, but you did that to yourself."

"Hah!" She snorted. When Doctor Crusher arrived, they were sitting on the platform with Commander Riker standing between them to keep them off each other's throats. Juliana glared at Picard, reached around behind Riker, and poked the Captain in the shoulder. He jerked, retaliated, and got smacked.

"Hey! _She _started it!"

"And _you _know better. Both of you." He fixed Juliana with a stern look that made her wonder how her father would have handled her adolescent years. Crusher took one look at the three of them and started laughing.

"What _happened_, Will?"

"The molecular reversion field destroyed the Fermi and aged _these _five backwards. I just want to know what I'm up against here."

"Give me a minute, Commander." Crusher caught her breath, "_This _is what came back?"

"Yep."

"Well, _those _two are thirteen. The other three are twelve."

"Great." Riker rubbed his face, "Any idea how to fix it?"

"I'll get to work on it. In the meanwhile, just…just keep them out of trouble."

"_All _of them?"

"No, just these two." Crusher waved to Juliana and Picard, who exchanged a confused look. It was so unreal to be trapped in a thirteen-year-old body with the functioning mind of a thirty-year-old. Riker dismissed them from Transporters, and from there they scattered. Guinan grabbed Ro by the hand and dragged her off to play, Kieko O'Brien went to look for her family, leaving Juliana with Picard. She looked over her shoulder as they headed for the Bridge and caught him watching.

"If he _ever _has kids, I feel very sorry for them."

"We're his experience."

"No kidding." She dropped back a few paces, humming to herself. With a reversion to the age of thirteen came all of those mischief-making characteristics. Looking for Riker again, she bounced on her toes and charged the thirteen-year-old captain, jumping onto his back, "Haha!"

"Get off!"

"Make me!" she threw her arms around his neck, "I'm not _that _heavy, Cap." He shrugged her off and pushed into a bulkhead, she tripped him, and he threatened her with disciplinary action. She just laughed at him. Riker followed them to the Bridge, took over giving orders, and after a few hours Doctor Crusher suggested that maybe the Captain should surrender command to Riker until things were back to normal. Juliana returned to her quarters, dug out a padd, and sat down to write.

**Stardate 46235.7/August 18, 2368**

**Returned from Away Mission to Marlonia with Captain Picard, Guinan, Kieko O'Brien, and Ensign Ro. No trouble planetside, all well. Returned in Shuttle Fermi, encountered anomaly. Molecular reversion field destroyed Fermi and aged Away Team backwards to the ages of thirteen and twelve. Captain Picard and myself are thirteen again, Guinan, Kieko, and Ro are twelve. Future uncertain, Picard surrendered command to Commander Riker an hour ago. He doesn't trust the two of us, don't blame him at all. Update later. **

* * *

After writing, Juliana wandered her quarters, and the nearby corridors. Feeling rather daring, she visited Picard's quarters. He let her in right away and she walked into the private quarters.

"Do you dance, Juliana?"

"Excuse me?"

"Simple question."

"Yes, but why?" she frowned, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing at all." He turned and smiled, "Care to dance?"

"To…_what_?"

"Computer, play Program 17." Picard's smile was rakish as he held out one hand to her. She took his hand and wondered what he was up to. Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" drifted from the audio system as the captain took the lead.

"Wow." She caught her breath as he twirled her and then caught her around the waist for a dip. She had danced with the Captain one other time at a Starfleet function two years ago, she remembered the song they had danced to: Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven". When the program ended, Juliana only waited a heartbeat.

"Computer, play Program 125." She whispered, "Dim lights." As the lights dimmed, the opening strains of "Tears in Heaven" flowed from the speakers.

"You remembered!" The Captain's eyes glowed as they danced.

"Of course I did. We only had the whole room watching." She smiled shyly, "I never got a chance to thank you for that night." The Captain just shook his head and pulled her close.

"It's too bad we're only thirteen."

"Some things can't be helped." She laid her head on his shoulder. When the song ended, they had it repeat.

That night, unbidden, Juliana slept in the Captain's quarters. Only the senior officers said anything or gave them any looks for it. Quite honestly, Juliana didn't care and neither did the Captain.

* * *

Two days later, the Enterprise was seized by Ferengi marauders and all but the reverted officers were beamed off the ship. The Ferengi kept Commander Riker because they needed someone to talk to the computers and they didn't know that the children weren't children. Left to their own devices, Juliana and the Captain plotted an escape from the school-room where they were being held hostage after getting access to the LCARS computer.

"It looks like we can use the Jeffries tubes to get out." Juliana traced the route of the tubes with a finger-tip, "And we can go any way at all. Up, sideways, or down."

"_What_?" the girls were stunned.

"The tubes run through the walls and between the decks. Up, sideways, or down."

"Ooh. Okay." Guinan heaved a sigh of relief, "I didn't know."

"That's okay. We should probably split up, though."

"Yes, good idea." The Captain pushed back from the computer, "Guinan, you take Keiko and Ro, head for Deck 12."

"What about you?" Guinan wanted to know.

"Juliana and I will head for the Bridge."

"Are you _nuts_?"

"I have to rescue my First Officer, don't I?" He just flashed a smart grin and they dislodged the proper panels. One such panel was right above a desk table, and after pushing the panel up and in, the Captain lifted Juliana into the overhead tube. She turned around and reached down for him, keeping one eye on the door all the while. They all heard the lock give way and she grabbed him by the back of his uniform, dragging him into the tube and sliding the panel into place just as the door opened. Watching through the grate, they saw the guards notice the absence of all five prisoners, and report it. Juliana looked at the Captain and smirked.

"Bastards. We'll have them running for hours!"

"Let's move." He slid past her and she followed his lead. It was the first time she could ever remember being inside a Jeffries tube and _not _feeling cramped or claustrophobic. Somewhere around Deck 6, he decided it was time to do some scrounging.

"For _what_?"

"Weapons, what else?"

"How do you propose we do _that_?" She frowned at him. He pushed out a panel that let them into an abandoned corridor.

"By hunting for it. Come on."

"You really _are _nuts." She slid out behind him and looked both ways for Ferengi. The coast was clear. It didn't take long to find an armory room, which was oddly unguarded.

"I guess they forgot the children knew what they were doing." Juliana whispered as they broke in. Arming themselves with phase-rifles and pistols, they snuck out again. Juliana also took a coil of utility rope, which she wore across her chest like a bandolier.

"What's that for?" the Captain asked as they retreated to the Jeffries Tubes again.

"You never know when you might need a good length of rope." She smirked. On Deck 4, they surfaced again, coming out from underneath. The Captain was just about to push the panel up when Juliana stopped him.

"Wait! Somebody's coming!" She pulled on the back of his uniform, "Down!" They cleared the ladder and ducked out of sight.

"Damn." He looked out, "If that's a Ferengi, I'm shooting the bastard." They waited, forgetting to the breathe, foolishly hoping whoever it was would keep going. A moment later, light flooded the Jeffries Tube and Juliana winced.

"Captain?" a voice called down from the hatch. It was Wesley! Juliana looked at the Captain.

"Wesley?"

"Captain! Doctor Kirk! Are you down there?"

"Wesley!" Juliana scrambled up the ladder, "Where did _you _come from?"

"They left us behind when they beamed the adults off the ship. Alex and I hid in a Jeffries Tube until we were sure everyone was gone." Wesley reached down and helped her out of the hatch, "We heard about your little vanishing act."

"I'll bet Morta's pissed." Juliana dusted off her uniform, "Yuck."

"I heard about the accident. Wow." Wesley looked from Juliana to the Captain, "Mom was right."

"Hopefully once we get Doctor Crusher back we can put things to rights." The Captain looked grim, "I need to get Riker back. But I also need to do something with these bloody Ferengi."

"Problem solved, Captain." Alexander presented them with a combadge.

"What's this?" Juliana took it, turned it over.

"We've modified a number of combadges with isotronic tags and when they make contact with something, like a Ferengi, they'll automatically be transported to the brig."

"And you know this works?"

"We tried it on each other first. All you have to do is slap a badge on a Ferengi and they gone."

"Smart move." Juliana took the little shoulder-pouch of combadges Alexander gave her. Instead of hiding, they moved openly. The first Ferengi they saw tried to raise an alarm, but Juliana fired a stun-blast from her phase-rifle and slapped a badge onto his jacket as she knelt beside the body. The Ferengi vanished in a shimmer and Juliana looked at the others.

"Cool. Come on, boys, let's go hunt us some Ferengi."

"Lead on."

"Gladly." She led the way through the Enterprise. Slowly, they subdued the Ferengi until the only ones left on the ship were Morta and her guards.

"Alright, Captain, now it's time to rescue Commander Riker and show this Ferengi bitch she messed with the wrong people." Juliana checked her rifle, "Let's get the Enterprise back." By this time they had rejoined Guinan, Ro, and Keiko, raided another armory room, and armed the rest of their little resistance party. They may have been trapped in the bodies of children, but the girls knew exactly what to do with the phasers.

* * *

As they advanced on the Deck 1, Juliana's tri-corder suddenly picked up a Human signature back on Deck 4.

"Ferengi?" the Captain peeked over her shoulder.

"Human. It's an adult. But Commander Riker's still in the Ready Room. It's not him."

"Then who _is _it?"

"No idea. But, adult help is better than none at all." She turned around, "Come on!" They sprinted back to the lift they had just abandoned, and fanned out once they reached Deck 4. Whoever was down there was lost, he seemed to be wandering in circles. They cornered him near the main shuttlebay, closed him in, and quite effectively took him by surprise.

"Name yourself, stranger!" Juliana snarled, "Are you one of us?"

"I think so. Who are you?"

"We're officers of the Enterprise." She narrowed her eyes, "Who are you, sir?"

"Kirk, James T. Captain. Did you say this was the Enterprise?"

"The Enterprise-D, sir. And…what did you say your name was again?" Wesley took over. Juliana almost dropped her rifle.

"Wait! Stand down! Wesley, Alexander, stand down." She lowered her rifle, stepped back, "It's okay, he's Federation."

"How can you be so sure of that? His uniform's all wrong." Ro wasn't convinced. Juliana looked at Guinan.

"Ensign, I really hope I would recognize my own _father_." She shot the Bajoran girl a disgusted look.

"Julie?" Her father had apparently recognized her. She nodded.

"Yep."

"But…you're thirteen years old! What happened to you?"

"Molecular reversion field." She shrugged, "I'd ask the same of you. You've been declared dead for…how long?" she looked at the Captain, who wouldn't take his eyes off her father.

"Seventy-six years exactly, sir. When the Enterprise-B was destroyed, you were listed among the dead." The Captain grinned, "How did you cheat death this time?"

"The Nexus. I've been living in the Nexus for seventy-six years without knowing how much time had passed."

"How did you get out of it?" Juliana was curious, they _all _were. The loss of Captain Kirk was Starfleet legend.

"Spock." One word, and all the explanation they needed.

"Well, remind me to thank the Ambassador when I see him next." The Captain smiled, "In the meanwhile, would you like to make yourself useful?"

"What are you kids up to anyway? Where _is _everybody? I thought I was on a ghost-ship until you showed up."

"We were hijacked by Ferengi. Please don't ask how that happened, we're not sure."

"This is an Enterprise, boy! Fight for it, for God's sake!" her father looked absolutely mortified.

"I have been fighting for her, Captain. All of the Ferengi except those on Deck 1 have been transported to the Brig."

"Alright, that's enough. I don't care _who _this Enterprise belong to, she sure as hell don't belong to no stinkin' Ferengi! Move, kids!" her father snapped, heading straight for the lifts.

"Wow…time sure didn't change _him_, did it?" Guinan whistled.

"Guinan, time didn't _exist _for him until a minute ago." Juliana was actually impressed. Her father had just dropped into a whole different century and hit the ground running. Literally.

"Juliana! Bring your boyfriend and let's get the Enterprise back!" Her father called from the lift. Juliana looked at the Captain and wished just briefly that the deck would open up and swallow her whole.

"Come on." She trotted up the corridor and ducked into the lift with her father. The others followed behind and as they got moving, she looked at her father, "He is _not _my boyfriend. I'm thirteen years old!"

"Yeah, well, I know a few things about the Human body and hormones. And don't get me started on teenagers."

"Dad!" she looked over her shoulder at her shipmates, "You say _anything _and I'll toss you out the nearest airlock when we're done here." The girls giggled, Wesley snickered. She kicked him in the shin.

"Ignore them, Juliana." The Captain ran his hand along her sleeve, "We have bigger fish to fry."

"I rest my case." Her father just smirked, "Too bad you're so young." Juliana said nothing, it cost her dearly. Time spent in the Nexus had made her father particularly mouthy. When they got to Deck 1, they dealt quickly with the guards on the Bridge.

"It's about _time _you kids got here!" Commander Riker was only half-joking as Juliana lifted the keys to the cuffs from the belt of one of the Ferengi guards before slapping a badge on the bastard and sending him to the Brig.

"Can it, Commander." She snarled, unlocking the cuffs. Riker rubbed the marks on his wrists with a chuckle and looked over Juliana's shoulder at her father.

"Let me guess, this bundle of hormonal joy belongs to you?"

"Lucky guess, Commander."

"Thought so."

"Well, gentlemen, if you'll excuse us, we have an appointment with Morta." The Captain smiled sweetly, took Juliana by the shoulder and steered her towards the Ready Room.

* * *

Storming the Ready Room was easy, it was all over in under five minutes, and the first thing they did was transport back Doctor Crusher, who actually _fainted _when she saw Juliana's father sitting in the center chair on the Bridge. Juliana sat to his left, the Captain sat in Commander Riker's seat, and Commander Riker stood behind them.

"We're going to be seeing a _lot _of that." Juliana sighed and got up, "Once people realize you're aboard the Enterprise, that is."

"I'll try not to make a scene." Her father snickered as she knelt beside Doctor Crusher and waved a vial of smelling salts under the woman's nose. She helped Crusher sit up and smiled.

"Okay there, Doc?"

"What is _he _doing here?" Crusher looked at her father, confused.

"He somehow managed to escape the Nexus and ended up on the Enterprise."

"Captain Kirk?"

"Only one of me, my dear." Her father came and offered his hand. Crusher took it, let him help her up, and Juliana got up slowly, watching. Something passed between Captain and Doctor and she looked at _her _Captain, who just smiled and folded his arms.

"Well that came out of nowhere." She whispered, joining him. With a commissioned Captain on the Bridge, Commander Riker relinquished his command to Juliana's father, who was only too happy to take over an Enterprise. Juliana had missed her father during these years of her life, and was almost convinced _not _to let Doctor Crusher convert her back to her true age.


	10. Part Two :: Chapter Three

Part Two :: Chapter Three

Three days later, Doctor Crusher converted the five reverted officers to their true ages. She did Ensign Ro, Keiko O'Brian, and Guinan first without any issue at all, but as she initiated the process to convert Doctor Kirk and Captain Picard, something went wrong and the converter shorted out. The pair rematerialized on the platform safely, but that was the only really good news. She knelt between them and checked for vitals.

"Doctor?"

"They're both stable, but we've still got a problem. Get the Bridge, I want Captain Kirk down to Sickbay right away." she couldn't figure out what had happened as she moved them to beds. Scanning Kirk and Picard, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"How old are they _this _time?" Geordi LaForge asked, having been present to make sure everything went smoothly.

"Eighteen."

"Better than thirteen. But I don't think they'll mind."

"I hope not." She sighed, "I guess they get that second childhood they wanted." When the Captain arrived, he actually took the news pretty well.

"Just let me know if anything changes."

"Yes, sir." She would be keeping a close eye on the pair for certain. Over the course of three days, she observed them closely but there was no further change. When she admitted to them that the aging process had stopped at eighteen, she was surprised by the smile they gave her.

"You're sure about that, Doctor?"

"If you haven't shown any acceleration in three days, I don't think you'll age again until your next birthdays." She sighed, "I'm not sure if that's good news or not for you."

"That's good news." Kirk looked at Picard, who nodded.

"Then I have no reason to keep you here any longer. You're free to go wherever you wish." She watched them leave, folding her arms across her chest and wondering why she felt like a failure when they were happy.

"Beverley?" Picard turned to her.

"Yes?"  
"Thanks. And I mean that quite literally. Thank you."

"For what? You have to start over!"

"That's why." He came back, hugged her, and then left Sickbay. She followed them to the doors and watched them go down the corridor. They hadn't gone very far when Kirk suddenly jumped Picard and almost knocked him over. He tried to throw her off, sent them both flying, and ran after Kirk when she took off at a sprint. That moment of levity reminded her that they were still young and this time, they could _enjoy _it. Smiling despite herself, Crusher returned to her office and sat down to do paperwork.

* * *

The only warning James Kirk had to avoid being flattened was the shriek of laughter that reached him from the left-hand corridor as he explored Deck 12, and he moved out of the way just in time to avoid getting run down by Juliana and Jean-Luc Picard, whom he had replaced as Captain soon after meeting the former Captain at the age of thirteen. They didn't see him, even as Juliana crashed into the wall, rebounded, and kept going.

"You cheated, Juliana! Slow down!" Picard called, putting on speed to catch up with Juliana.

"Not on your _life_!" Juliana called over her shoulder, vanishing around the next corner. James chuckled and headed for Sickbay. He found Beverley Crusher in her office.

"Well, the kids are happy."  
"I don't suppose they apologized?" she looked up from her work.  
"Didn't even see me." He let the door close behind him, "What's wrong?"

"I know _they're _happy, and I know I should be happy _for _them, but…I can't help but feel that I've failed them somehow." She tossed aside her stylus and put her head in her hands, "I…I don't know."

"You _didn't _fail them, Beverley. Don't think you failed them." He knew what bothered her, but when he looked at Juliana and Jean-Luc, he only saw promise, "I know things didn't go the way they should have, that the kids stopped aging at eighteen, but did it ever occur to you that maybe they're okay with a second chance?"

"What are you talking about?"

"They're eighteen again, Beverley. How many of us have wished for that very same chance? They have a full future of chances ahead of them! I haven't seen anything to make me think those two won't be taking the entrance exams the minute we get back if not before then."

"You really think so?"

"I'm a father, Beverley, I _know _so." He smiled and held out one hand to her, "Come on, I need a drink and I think you could use one, too." Beverley could _never_ replaced Bones, but he wasn't looking for a replacement for his old CMO. He wanted his current CMO, and he wanted her happy with the results of an experiment that probably shouldn't have worked half as well as it had in the first place. She smiled and gave him her hand. He helped her out of her chair and let her out first.

"Tell me, Captain, do you have any experience with teenagers?"

"Not with my own personal teenager. But I've dealt with Cadets and trainees aplenty in my time."

"What about your son, David?"

"I didn't have anything to do with his childhood, Carol wouldn't let me near the kids." He sighed, shaking his head, "You'll understand if I'm just a tad happier than most to know that my daughter's only eighteen."

"The middle of the rebellious years, I hope you're ready." Beverley smiled, "I just remember what a handful Wesley was at that age and I wonder how Juliana and Jean-Luc will be."

"Just remember, they have the minds and experiences of people much older."

"Thirty and sixty-three, respectively."

"Hmm." He just smiled as he guided her into a lift and headed for Ten Forward. Guinan was, of course, thrilled to see them and pointed to a corner table as she got their orders.

"I've gotta hand it to you, Doc. Somethin' might have gone wrong, but I'd say a lot _more _has gone _right_. Especially for _those _two." Guinan eyed Juliana and Jean-Luc with a smile, "They've been sitting there since they got here, just talking. I've never seen him smile like that."

"What do you say, Guinan?" James lifted his glass and took a sip. Good quality brandy, the best.

"You want my opinion? Leave 'em in peace. What I know about both of 'em, this is the best thing that could have happened." Guinan shook her head, "That whole mess with the Chimera alienated your daughter from everyone except an Enterprise crew, from _your _Enterprise crew."

"What about him?"

"Talk about singular focus and drive. He's always been so determined to be the best, he forgot a few important things along the way."

"It took a molecular reversion field and reversion to the age of thirteen to show him _that_?"

"Both of them." Guinan smiled, "Cheers, Captain."

"Thank you, Guinan." He toasted the bartender and downed his drink.

"So you're alright with…this?" Beverley motioned to the couple at the corner table.

"Doctor, my daughter never had any kind of romantic attachments with Humans." He frowned, "Her only romantic interest was my Vulcan navigator on the Enterprise, Lieutenant Saavik. They were at the Academy together."

"T'hy'la?"

"Yep."

"That must have been a first."

"Not exactly." He swirled his glass and wondered, for the first time, where Spock was in this madness. Somehow, the Nexus had lost it's grip on his reality and he had dreamt of his own long-lost t'hy'la. He had almost forgotten until that dream, which had sent him fleeing the Nexus and landed him on the Enterprise-D.

"What are you thinking about?" Beverley watched him curiously.

"Spock." He sipped his drink, "My old Science Officer."

"You two made history together. You must have missed him."

"The Nexus made me forget him until a dream came to me and I found myself…_here_." He looked over his shoulder at the kids, "Time has no meaning in the Nexus, it doesn't exist the way it does here."

"That's why you're still sixty and young." Beverley smiled, "Have you had any trouble getting around or have the girls been leaving you alone?"

"A little of both. I keep forgetting where I am." He laughed at himself, "But, I feel young."

"We need a Captain who knows what he's doing, and who better than Starfleet's only James T. Kirk?"

"You flatter, madam." He raised his glass, "To friends, and second chances."

"Cheers." They touched glasses, drank, and just enjoyed shared company.

* * *

"Enterprise Captain's Log, Supplemental. Stardate 46235.83. After departing the Nexus for reality, I found myself stranded in an entirely different century than the one I left behind. According to my shipmates, it's 2368, seventy-five years after I was pulled into the Nexus energy ribbon as the Enterprise-B was conducting rescue operations. In this time, I have already been handed command of an Enterprise, for the first time in seventy-five years I'm back in the center chair. It feels damn good, and the man who's serving as First Officer doesn't seem at all intimidated either by my succession nor the fact that his true captain is currently eighteen years old.

I've reunited with my daughter Juliana, of all things I never thought possible, and I have a chance to start over with her. She, too, is eighteen. Something about a molecular reversion field that destroyed one of the Enterprise-D's shuttles and rendered no fewer than five of it's officers to the ages of twelve and thirteen.

We haven't had contact with Starfleet Command since I took part in a reverse coupe and freed the Enterprise-D from marauding Ferengi. I never trusted the bastards. Said that once about the Klingon, too. My Chief of Security happens to _be _a Klingon, and honestly, I trust that man with my life. No reason not to, he was my defense representative during my trial. Always nice to see a familiar face. He remembered me, and declared that it was his honor to _serve _the Enterprise-D with me in the center chair. Loyalty of one's officers is key to success. I learned that a long time ago and I've come to depend upon my current officers as I once did Bones, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu. God I miss them."


	11. Part Two :: Chapter Four

Part Two :: Chapter Four

When the Enterprise-D arrived home three months later, word had already gotten around that Captain Picard had been replaced by James T. Kirk following a bizarre transporter accident that had left him at the age of eighteen, along with the ship's Senior Medical Officer. The return of James Kirk prompted the planning of a gala to honor his return to service, and Starfleet Council offered him any command he wanted. All he wanted was the Enterprise-D, and they gave it to him.

The night of the gala, two days after they got home, James Kirk couldn't find his daughter. Calls to friends had proven she wasn't with them.

"Where _is _she?" he groused, "I swear if we're any later, I'll…" The door of her bedroom opened and he turned around, cut short.

"Sorry, I couldn't decide what to wear." She stood sheepishly in the doorway, and James had to remind himself that she was his daughter, but she was also old enough to dress herself.

"So much for an empty dance card." He shook his head, "Where did you _find _that?"

"Doctor Crusher and Commander Troi helped me find it." she twitched the skirt of the dress with nervous fingers, "What do you think?"

"I sure hope you have a date or an escort or _something_."

"I do. And no, he doesn't like sharing." Juliana blushed. James chuckled, knowing just exactly who she was talking about. As he gave Juliana his arm and they left for the gala, he couldn't help but think that maybe this was exactly what they needed. And having watched Juliana and Jean-Luc during the trip home, he had to admit they made a good match. All _he _had to do was get up the courage to give his blessing. And, most importantly, let go.

* * *

Having tucked himself safely into a corner of the bustling ball-room in Federation Hall, Jean-Luc Picard watched all of the dignitaries and Starfleet higher-ups who had come for a glimpse of James Kirk. So far he had avoided any uncomfortable situations, and knew he had his former officers to thank for that mercy. He saw Beverley Crusher with her son, chatting up a dignitary from some Federation world he couldn't pronounce with an equally unpronounceable name, William Riker and Deanna Troi were on the dance-floor at the moment, Data was wandering around somewhere, Geordi LaForge stood by the door with a cluster of fellow engineers, and he was fairly certain Worf had decided to stay in for the night. Most of Starfleet knew about the transporter accident by now, but his former officers were still running damage control. Captain Kirk had been a bloody saint and run off a few of the overly curious during their two days on solid ground. He was starting to miss the freedom of the Enterprise, the freedom of space, and resigned himself to the knowledge that he wouldn't _have _that freedom again for a long time.

"Good evening, Captain." He was startled by a soft salutation from his left, and almost choked. He swallowed the mouthful of pilfered champagne and turned.

"Oh! Good evening, Ambassador." He smiled, relieved.

"You are not socializing?"

"Who wants to talk to a eighteen year old?" He frowned into his glass.

"Plenty of people."

"About something _besides _the accident? I don't want to talk about it! Don't they _get _that?"

"No." The Vulcan Ambassador smiled kindly, and with far more understanding than he had received from anyone else this evening.

"Were you looking for me, Ambassador?"

"No, but I did find you, didn't I?"

"Hmm. I guess my former officers didn't see you as a threat or you wouldn't have gotten this far." He looked for _any _sign of the Kirks, wondering if they were coming late.

"Looking for someone?"

"I find it unlikely that Captain Kirk would miss this circus, they did it for _him _anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed home tonight." Jean-Luc sipped his champagne, and was beginning to wish he hadn't let Wesley talk him into coming. Spock just chuckled, something he did so rarely, but gave no response. It was familiar company, and he knew he could get away with keeping his peace. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but quite suddenly everything stopped and then there was a flurry of activity by the doors. He looked up and smiled. He tapped the combadge on his uniform, "All units, this is Alpha Leader. The guests of honor have arrived. Move out." His former officers melted out of the woodwork, descended on the crowd by the doors, and he looked at Spock, "I can't imagine you haven't been looking forward to this since you found out he was back."

"We've spoken several times, but yes, I have been rather impatient."

"He's your best friend, why shouldn't you be happy to see him?" Jean-Luc smiled, "Come on." Getting to the fringes of the crowd, he stretched up and caught sight of Juliana Kirk and her father surrounded by his officers, who kept the crowds at bay. Well, now they were Captain Kirk's officers and not his, but in some way they would _always _be his officers.

The crowd parted, making way for them, and he quietly dropped into at-attention, hands behind his back and spine straight. When he saw Juliana for the first time, he forgot how to breathe. She wore a long, off-the-shoulder A-line gown in burgundy chiffon with a deep neckline and a ribbon of chiffon falling from a rhinestone accent at the waist. Her hair, which had grown out during her years of service to the Enterprise-D, had been coaxed into a mass of curls and waves that made her look much younger than eighteen. She was, if he had to pick a single word to describe her, beautiful. Spock rested one hand on his shoulder and he looked briefly at the Ambassador. It wasn't sadness he saw, it was joy. Sheer, unadulterated joy. Jean-Luc was just glad he could witness this reunion of old friends. And what a reunion it was. Seeing Spock, Captain Kirk ground to a halt. Jean-Luc watched as Juliana's eyes widened. She pulled away from her father, who couldn't seem to decide if it was all a dream.

There were two reunions, he realized, and stood aside as Juliana threw her arms around the Ambassador in a show of incredible familiarity. If they said anything, he didn't hear it. He remembered that Juliana had carried Spock's _katra _once, or part of it at least, and some part of _him _had remained in her consciousness ever since, even after the completion of the _fal-tor-pan_. Through the whole fiasco concerning the Genesis Project, her tenure aboard the U.S.S. Chimera, her service to the Enterprise and the Enterprise-A, her subsequent service to the Enterprise-B, and cryo-stasis, and now the transporter accident. It was still there, he could sense that closeness between them. When Spock finally surrendered Juliana, he was there to take her in hand.

"I didn't know if you were coming." He whispered as he maneuvered her away from the crowd.

"I almost didn't, but Beverley and Deanna told me no way in Hell was I _not _going." She brushed the skirt of her gown, "They found this, told me to suck it up, and stop being a coward."

"Well, you look beautiful." He smiled and looked over his shoulder, "I think the Captain is happy now." They turned to watch two old friends reunite and he suspected those two would find a quiet corner to talk until they'd said everything.

"Wait until _that _hits the headlines tomorrow morning. People will be going _nuts_." Juliana smiled and looked at him, "You used to _hate _dress uniforms."

"I still _do_." He frowned, resisted the urge to pull on the collar of his uniform, which Riker had talked him into wearing. Juliana smiled and stretched up on tiptoe, kissing him on the cheek.

"Well, _I _think you look handsome." She whispered. Finding an empty table, he stole two glasses of champagne, and they sat and watched for a long time. There was nothing to be said, they'd been together long enough to sit without speaking in comfort. Suddenly, after nearly an hour of making rounds, dodging the press, and making small-talk with their friends, they found refuge on a bench against one wall, and sat together. As she laid her head on his shoulder, he smiled.

"You're not tired, are you?"

"Nope. Just watching my dad." She adjusted her angle and sank against him a little more, "I think he's got a thing for Doctor Crusher."

"You _think_?" he snickered, "After four months in space, you just _think_?"

"I think it's sweet." She smiled and they watched the couple in question take over the dance-floor. The current song ended and another started almost right away. Juliana perked up and looked at him, "They're playing our song."

"You're right." He looked at the nearly-empty dance-floor and had an idea. Getting up, he took Juliana by the hand and led her onto the floor, "Better take advantage of it, hmm?"

"You're terrible!" She whispered as he pulled her close and guided her into a turn. He didn't say anything. This would be the third time they had danced to "Tears in Heaven", and he intended to enjoy it.

* * *

As she watched Jean-Luc Picard dance with Juliana Kirk, Deanna Troi couldn't help but feel pleased. Beside her, William Riker looked disgustingly smug.

"We did it, Will." She whispered as the couples on the dance-floor forgot about everything else but each other, "We really did it this time."

"Took long enough, if you asked me." Her own partner just chuckled, "But who would ever have dreamed it would take a molecular reversion field to bring them to their senses?"

"Or the return of Captain Kirk to _this _time?"

"Indeed, indeed. They're happy, though."

"Willing to bet at least one couple kisses at the end of the song?" Geordi LaForge wandered up.

"Oh, Geordi!" Deanna wrinkled her nose, "How could you?"

"Why not?"

"I'm game." Will smirked, "Wesley?"

"Sure!" Wesley Crusher beamed, and Deanna rolled her eyes as the boys laid bets on which couple would kiss, which couple would kiss first. Wesley won the pool, having bet on his mother and Captain Kirk. There were two kisses on the dance-floor, much to the shock of the onlookers. That would hit the news and go wild in no time. But, Deanna knew it would be handled the way they handled everything. Gently, but firmly. After leaving the dance-floor, Jean-Luc and Juliana disappeared. Everything was set to rights, the important people were happy, and Deanna herself had no complaints at all.

* * *

A week later, Wesley Crusher, Jean-Luc Picard, and Juliana Kirk took the entrance exams for Starfleet Academy, passed on the first try, and gained admission. Wesley went into xenolinguistics, Jean-Luc settled into engineering, and Juliana decided on command. Given a chance at a fresh start, Jean-Luc and Juliana decided they wanted to try something a little different this time. The adults just stood back and watched as a promising friendship took root.


	12. Part Two :: Chapter Five

Part Two :: Chapter Five

Their first year at Starfleet Academy went smoothly, with Jean-Luc and Wesley living together as roommates and the former going steady with Juliana as his girlfriend. They stayed in touch with the Enterprise-D and made friends outside their exclusive trio. One mutual friend Jean-Luc and Juliana shared was Harry Kim, an engineering cadet who had several classes with Jean-Luc and a crush on Juliana's roommate Lyndsay Ballard. In second year, a new class was offered on transwarp theory, and Juliana decided to take it with Jean-Luc and Harry just for the hell of trying something new. It fulfilled one of her secondary requirements anyway, and she figured it was better to take something she might actually enjoy. Word was circulating campus that there was a new instructor teaching the theory class, but no one was really sure of his identity.

It reached Juliana and her circle of friends that the new instructor had been recommended by Captain Kirk and came with the good Captain's praises that there wasn't a finer man in Starfleet to teach the next generation of officers the intricacies of Engineering and specially transwarp theory, which was apparently a favorite subject. Intrigued, dozens of students from all tracks signed up for the class and all arrived on time for the first day. The door was unlocked, as was policy, and the seats slowly filled. The students all reported, but there was no sign of the professor at the start-time. No one really started worrying until it was almost fifteen minutes.

"Did he get lost or something?" One of the girls whispered. They decided to send a search-party out to search the halls for their errant instructor. Three of the boys volunteered and took off. Juliana lay on one of the desk tables, her head in Jean-Luc's lap as he _sat _on the table. Suddenly, the boys came running back.

"He's coming! He's coming!"

"Who?"

"Captain Kirk!"

"What the…" Juliana sat up, "What's my _dad_ doing here?" A moment later, the door behind the instructor's desk opened and her father emerged, holding the door open for someone. He turned and looked, one eyebrow went up.

"Well, that's one good sign. No body's gone. Full class." He caught sight of Juliana and the boys and smirked. She knew better than to think her father had given up the Enterprise for a teaching position, and tried to think of any reason he would have to _leave _the Enterprise.

"Wait a second. Didn't the Enterprise just get back from a mission?" Jean-Luc whispered. Just then, the instructor emerged and Juliana was pretty sure hers wasn't the only jaw to drop open.

"Scotty!" she slid from the table and trotted down the aisle steps, "Scotty!"

"Julie Kirk! Bless ya, lassie!" the gold-hearted Chief Engineer hugged her tightly, "Does me old heart good to see you!"

"Same to you, Captain!" she returned the affection, "We're all here for you, Scotty, and we're ready."

"Good girl." Scotty kissed her on the cheek, "Go on now, to your seat." She went back to her seat between Harry and Jean-Luc, and looked around the room. Juliana half-expected her father to leave, but he didn't. The last seat in their row was empty, and he took it.

"Why did he stay?" Harry whispered.

"Probably for moral support. Something happened to Scotty, he's not altogether there."  
"Is he okay?"

"No physical harm, but he _is _disoriented." She scribbled notes on her PADD, "I wasn't a medical student for all those years for nothin'." At the end of the row, her father was smiling behind his hands. Despite his disorientation, Scotty turned out to be a fantastic instructor, engaging the students. Juliana didn't think they'd loose any students the way some classes lost numbers. For the first class, Scotty just regaled them with tales of the old days aboard the Enterprise, which had them all rolling in their seats.

"Oh, _he's _good!" Harry whispered, "I like him!"

"Scotty's fun. If we actually _learn _anything…"

"Scotty teaches through story-telling, kids." Her father smirked, "Just pay attention."

"Yes, sir." The boys nodded. Juliana already knew _that _about her father's former Chief Engineer. At break, Juliana decided it was time to introduce the boys to Scotty, who had looked out for her on the old Enterprise.

"Scotty!" she called as she hit the floor.

"Aye, lassie?"

"I want you to meet my friends."

"Oh, your fanclub?" he grinned, the boys blushed.

"Jean-Luc Picard and Harry Kim. This is Scotty."

"A pleasure, boys. So, which one of you lucky louts gets to look after Julie Kirk?"

"I do, sir." Jean-Luc said shyly.

"Do ye now? Well, bully good! Take good care of her, lad, and she'll return the favor!"

"She already has, Captain."

"Has she now?"

"Long story, Scotty. Dad can tell you more about that." Juliana made a face, knowing Scotty had noticed her age.

"Somethin's different. You're _young_."

"Lucky to be alive, I think. The Fermi was destroyed and for a while there I was stuck at thirteen."

"God bless your soul, lassie." Scotty hugged her, "And you just never went back to rights?"

"Not for lack of trying. Jean-Luc and I seized the opportunity to start over."

"I'll say you seized more than just _that _opportunity." Scotty looked from Juliana to Jean-Luc and nodded, "You've got my mark of approval, lad." The rest of the period passed with more story-telling and when they were dismissed, the students left in clusters, chatting in lively tones about the stories they'd heard, and everything they'd actually _learned _in the class itself. They were Scotty's only class, but Juliana didn't think that would ever be a problem.

* * *

As the semester progressed, Transwarp Theory became one of Juliana's favorite classes. By semester's end, it had become so popular that the Academy Board decided to add a second class-time for the next semester. Just glad to be useful for something again, Scotty dove headfirst into his new role and was soon one of the Academy's most beloved instructors.

One piece of advice Scotty gave all of them and that they all took with them when they left the class was this: "Starship captains are like children. They want everything right now and they want it their way. The secret is to give them what they need, not what they want." Quite possibly the most important piece of advice any instructor could ever give them, since they would all be serving a Starfleet Captain at some point following their graduation from the Academy.


	13. Intermission Part Two

Intermission Two

Juliana and the boys graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2372 with honors and were assigned to the U.S.S. Highlander under the command of Hannah Bryce. Juliana was promoted to Commander and made First Officer. In the same year, her father proposed to Doctor Crusher and the two were married in a private ceremony on an island in Hawaii. Nine months later, Juliana received a message from home informing her that she was a big sister. The baby, a boy, had been named Ryder James, and even Doctor McCoy had to admit he'd never seen such a healthy newborn. Life, for the moment, was quite good. Juliana had nothing at all to complain about, well almost nothing. She could have done without the loss of Harry Kim when Voyager was lost in the Badlands, but that wasn't to be helped. All she could do was pray.


	14. Part Three :: Chapter One

**_AN: The Highlander, the Serenity, and Juliana are mine. Everything else belongs to Paramount and Gene Roddenberry._**

**_AN2: This is the start of my Voyager adventures. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Part Three :: Chapter One

In 2374, after two years with the USS Highlander, Juliana was sent on an Away Team with Jean-Luc and Wesley to investigate a spatial anomaly near the Highlander. The anomaly turned out to be a wormhole, and Juliana had just enough time to send a mayday back to the Highlander before they were swallowed by the wormhole bound for god only knew where. When it finally deposited them in open space, Juliana was jolted back to consciousness to find herself on the deck. Jean-Luc and Wesley were both alive, just unconscious. She hauled herself into her chair and opened a Federation hailing-frequency, not sure where they were or who might be out there.

"Mayday, Mayday, this is Shuttle Serenity of the U.S.S. Highlander. I repeat, this is Serenity. Is anyone out there?" she tried again when a response was not forthcoming, "This is Shuttle Serenity of the U.S.S. Highlander. Is anybody out there?" Suddenly, the Serenity jolted and shuddered. She thought at first they were in a tractor beam, which would have been nice, but even nicer still was the starship that passed directly overhead. She recognized the lines right away and gasped, opening a new frequency, shaking with nerves, "We found it! Voyager, Voyager, this is Serenity! Do you read me? I repeat, this is Serenity! Voyager, respond!"

"We're reading you loud and clear, Serenity. Aren't you folks a little far from home?" Never had _that _voice sounded so good to Juliana. She looked over her shoulder.

"We got caught up in a wormhole, Captain, but we're in pretty good shape." She laughed unsteadily.

"J-Juliana? What's going on?" Jean-Luc regained consciousness and staggered into his chair.

"Serenity, what is your condition?"

"Not good, Voyager. The shuttle's structurally sound, but sensors are a little out of whack and starboard engine is failing. Life-support has maybe ten minutes."

"Crew?"

"A little shaken up after being bounced around, Captain. No permanent damage."

"We'll bring you aboard, I'll have Sickbay on standby."

"You have _our _thanks, Captain. Serenity out." She closed the frequency and lookd at Jean-Luc, who stared at the Voyager in shock, "Look what we found?"

"Oh my god! It's Voyager! Are _we _in the Delta Quadrant?"

"I think if Voyager had made it back to the Alpha Quadrant before now, we would have heard about it." She steered the crippled shuttle closer to the starship, only exhaling when they were pulled into the shuttle-bay by tractor beam. Wesley peered over their shoulders, nursing a headache.

"That's…"

"Voyager. Yep."

"How did we find _her_?"

"That bloody wormhole dumped us in Delta Quadrant space within range of her sensors." Jean-Luc set up landing procedures and they touched down lightly on the deck.

"You have _no _idea how happy I am right now." Juliana looked out the window at the cluster of officers gathered to welcome them aboard, "We can give them news of home."

"If I can make it down that ramp without falling over, I'll be damn happy." Wesley groaned. They finished shut-down and staggered off the Serenity. Juliana got to the deck and went straight to her knees as they finally gave out beneath her.

"Easy as she goes, Commander." The Voyager's Captain caught her under the arm, "You look _terrible_!"

"If I look like I saw the loosing end of a fight with Romulans, let me tell you I feel about as good."

"That was one hell of a wormhole you kids fell into. Is everybody okay?" The First Officer picked up Jean-Luc, "What happened?"

"We were investigating a spatial anomaly near the U.S.S. Highlander when we got pulled into the wormhole and it spit us out here." Juliana looked around blearily, "Where ever _here _is, anyway." They headed straight for Sickbay, Juliana staggered against a bulkhead and went to her knees a second time.

"Someone just carry her." Captain Janeway said with a shake of her head. Jean-Luc picked her up, being in better shape than she was, and carried her dutifully the rest of the way.

* * *

Kathryn Janeway had no trouble identifying her guests, so much that she didn't even ask for names. She remembered the threesome from the Academy. Juliana Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and Wesley Crusher had become known as the Terrible Three early in their academic careers, getting into all sorts of trouble without really getting _into _trouble. One of the Admirals on the Academy Tribunal had just fallen in love with Juliana and in his eyes she could do no wrong. Just more proof, as if they _needed _any, that Admiral Delsorna was a complete softie and a pushover. At least where Juliana Kirk was concerned.

When they got to Sickbay, Picard was carrying Juliana after she almost passed out just trying to _walk_. Whatever had happened had really shaken the kids up bad. As they entered Sickbay, empty at this time of day, the Doctor took one good look at them and threw his hands up.

"Oh, Captain, what did you do _this _time?"

"Rescued the crew of a shuttle stranded in the Delta Quadrant, Doctor." She looked at her guests, who really did look pretty shaky, "Juliana Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and Wesley Crusher."

"Well _this _is unexpected. What brings you three fine young folks to the Delta Quadrant?"

"We were stranded by a wormhole, Doctor." Juliana offered as she was set down on a diagnostic bed.

"Oh, that's too bad. But everyone's safe?"

"Yep. The Serenity needs some TLC, but…yeah." She put her head in both hands, "I'll give my father twenty-four hours before he starts freaking out." Dismissing her own officers, Kathryn stayed behind while the Doctor scanned Juliana and her companions.

"Well, aside from the expected bruising and concussions, the biggest problem here is a cracked rib on Doctor Kirk's behalf. And a dislocated right shoulder."

"No _wonder _it hurts to breathe!" Juliana doubled over, "I feel like I was hit in the chest with a paving-stone or a disruptor beam."

"Just relax, Doctor." Kathryn rubbed the girl's shoulder. In order for the Doctor to treat her ribs, Juliana had to remove her uniform, requiring help. Banishing the boys, Kathryn unfastened the collar and helped the girl. She noticed that the uniform was a little different from the one she and her crew wore, and knew things had definitely changed since the Voyager had been stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Juliana wore red of Command and the pips of a Commander now, Kathryn suspected the girl had left behind her roots in Medical in favor of trying something new on her second round through Starfleet Academy.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she winced, favoring her right shoulder.

"Shh, shh." Kathryn pulled off Juliana's boots and stripped the girl out of her uniform, leaving her in standard-issue tee-shirt and shorts.

"Captain?"

"Yes, Doctor?" she looked up and smiled at the girl.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She took Juliana's hand and helped the girl lay flat. When the Doctor pushed up the two-tone undershirt they saw the bruising.

"Oh, what did you _do_?"

"I hit the control panel when we were pulled into the wormhole."

"No wonder you're in pain." She shook her head in wonder that not only was the Serenity in one piece, but that Juliana and the boys weren't in worse physical shape after a trip like that. When the Doctor was done, he suggested that Juliana and the other two might benefit from an extended stay in Sickbay.

"I think that might be a good idea, at least until the bruising has faded a little. Keep me updated on any changes."

"Aye, Captain." The Doctor just nodded and Kathryn took her leave, checking up on the Bridge before going to her ready room to make an entry in her Captain's Log.

* * *

"Voyager Captain's Log. Stardate 51867.85. Another day in the Delta Quadrant, a little closer to home than yesterday. All quiet until an hour ago when we received a distress signal from a Starfleet shuttle stranded in the Delta Quadrant after traveling through a wormhole. Judging by the damage done to both the vessel and it's three-man crew of Starfleet officers, I would have to assume it was a temporary and unstable wormhole. At the moment, I have left Commander Juliana Kirk, formerly Doctor Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Commander Jean-Luc Picard, former Captain of same starship, and Ensign Wesley Crusher in Sickbay under the Doctor's watch. They will be integrated into the crew, there is nowhere else for them to go. I have no doubts Ensign Kim will be thrilled to see his old schoolmates again, for I know he attended Starfleet Academy with Picard and Kirk for at least the last two years of his education there. All is well, but my mind is troubled. How do I get all of us home in one piece? Is it even possible?"


	15. Part Three :: Chapter Two

Part Three :: Chapter Two

After being released from Sickbay, Juliana and the boys were given quarters aboard the Voyager and made welcome by Captain Janeway. Since she wasn't needed in a Command station, that was filled in very nicely by Commander Chakotay, Juliana made herself at home in Sickbay, which was familiar ground to her. The EMH was all too grateful for some kind of help. She exchanged her uniform for the Class B duty uniform adopted by Starfleet in 2370, opting for blue instead of command red this time and finishing her uniform off with a blue overshirt. By the end of day three of their stay, Juliana and the boys had fully integrated themselves among the Voyager's already mixed crew. Working in Sickbay put Juliana in close contact with the rest of the crew, who seemed awfully quick to warm to a new face.

* * *

Juliana knew something was seriously wrong when the vertigo and nausea didn't go away by the end of the week. Having spent so many years in Sickbay before trading out for a Bridge, she knew without having to run any tests that chances were heavily in favor of pregnancy, but she double-checked just to make sure it wasn't a false alarm. No, it wasn't a false alarm. That explained a _lot _of things, though. For about a month and a half, she had experienced severe nausea in the morning, her appetite was as erratic as the rest of her body. She had scared the Bridge-crew when she passed out halfway through Alpha Shift one morning, but the CMO hadn't run the right tests and just said it was hypoglycemia. She had almost laughed at the man. She had _been_ a CMO, she _knew _what kind of tests to run when a female crewmember presented with these particular symptoms. When Tom Paris arrived for his shift, she pounced on him.

"Tom! I need you to cover for me!"

"Calling in sick, Commander?"

"I feel worse today than I did yesterday. I can't be around patients."

"Go ahead, you _look _like you'd rather faint."

"Thanks, Tom, I owe you."

"Get some rest, Julie, you need it." Tom looked very concerned, "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"Promise. Hot tea and a nap sound _really _good right now." She waved, left Sickbay, and headed for her quarters. She didn't pass anyone who might ask questions, she was grateful for that. Wes was on the Bridge and Jean-Luc was in Engineering, probably having another long, _loud _argument with B'Elenna Torres. Reaching her quarters, she stripped out of her uniform, pulled on a pair of sweats, and ordered tea. Sitting on the couch, she sipped the hot drink, tried to wish away the cramps, and ended up on her side, just staring into space.

* * *

As he straightned up an already spotless Sickbay, Tom Paris noticed a PADD sitting on one of the diagnostic beds. Having a former Starfleet CMO around was probably the best thing to hit the Voyager since they were stranded in the Delta Quadrant, but he couldn't help noticing that Juliana Kirk seemed a little forgetful sometimes. Never negligent, but she tended to leave things lying around. Picking up the PADD, he was about to turn it off when he realized he was looking at the results of a test. He knew he really shouldn't read it, but having seen Juliana just a minute ago, he felt obliged to look out for a fellow medical officer. Her name was at the top of the report, so it was a self-ordered test. For _what_, though? How sick was she? Reading further into the results, he dropped the PADD. Uh-oh. Juliana wasn't _sick_, she was pregnant! No telling how far, but it couldn't be more than a month or two if she didn't even _look _pregnant! He had to tell somebody, but…who? Commander Picard? Ensign Crusher? No, no, he couldn't tell them. They'd freak out and tear the Voyager to pieces. He didn't trust the Doctor to keep his mouth shut, so no for that contact. Could he…wait a minute! He could tell the Captain! He_ had _to tell her anyway, it was his duty as a medical officer. He tapped his combadge, "Sickbay to Bridge. Captain, can you come down?"

"I'm on my way, Tom." God bless that woman, she didn't even ask. When she walked in, he handed her the PADD. She glanced at it, "What's this?"

"The results of a test Doctor Kirk ran on herself before she excused herself from duty forty minutes ago."

"Excused herself?"

"Captain, you should have seen her. She was three shades shy of fainting, I haven't had the heart to ask the computer to find her."

"Maybe you don't." The captain frowned, reading the results, "Computer, located Juliana Kirk."

"Doctor Kirk is in her quarters."

"At least she made it that far." He raked one hand through his hair, "Captain, I'm worried about her. She's not…well."

"Morning sickness, I don't blame her. That trip through the wormhole probably didn't help any…Tom!"

"The wormhole!" dread hit him and without another word, the Captain dropped the PADD and bolted from Sickbay. One thought raced through his mind. The wormhole had shaken the Highlander's officers, could it have damaged the fetus and caused a delayed miscarriage? _No! Don't think that! _He scolded himself. The door to Juliana's quarters was locked, but override was easily achieved and they went in quietly. Juliana was asleep on her couch, breathing slow and deeply. She wasn't comfortable, though. He held his breath as he scanned her, focusing especially on her midsection.

"Tom?" the Captain whispered. Tom looked at the results of the scan and exhaled slowly.

"Everything looks okay. I think it's just stress from everything that's happened." He sat back, "I'll do a more thorough scan next time she's in Sickbay."

"No fetal distress?"

"No, ma'am." He got to his feet, "The fetus is as healthy as anybody could want, especially after that crazy ride."

"Thank God. Thank you, Tom."

"You and me, Captain." He put the tricorder away and wished Juliana an untroubled sleep.

* * *

Three months later, it was obvious Juliana was pregnant and she switched over to a maternity uniform. Wesley and Jean-Luc were, naturally, stunned and absolutely beside themselves with excitement. Tom Paris and Captain Janeway kept an especially close eye on her, and the first time she was brave enough to venture down to Engineering, B'Elenna Torres almost ate her alive, kicking her out with no apologies. She wasn't allowed anywhere _near _Engineering, no excuses. Juliana began to experience home-sickness and wished she had some way to tell her father he was about to be a grandfather in a few months, and she got her wish granted when the Voyager's former Borg drone Seven of Nine found a relay station network, apparently abandoned, that gave them a view of the Alpha Quadrant. Their first attempt at contact failed, and they ended up sending the Doctor as emissary.

"Doctor, if you manage to get hold of Starfleet Command, can you have them give my father a message?" Juliana asked before he was transmitted to the Starfleet vessel they had detected within range of the sensors in the Alpha Quadrant.

"Most gladly, Doctor Kirk. What shall I say?"

"Just tell Captain Kirk he's about to be a grandfather. This has my message." She gave him a data-chip with a holographic message she had composed hoping for some way to get it to the right people.

"I will do my best." Then he was gone. Juliana could only hope the message got to the right people.

* * *

After successfully returning the U.S.S. Prometheus to Federation control from Romulan hijackers, the Voyager's EMH hologram returned to his own ship with the good news that he had, in fact, spoken to Starfleet Command and informed them that the Voyager was not only not lost, but that they were trying to get home. Oh, and they'd found the missing shuttle from the U.S.S. Highlander, the Serenity. It had been reported missing three months earlier while investigating a spatial anomaly near the Highlander itself, all three officers were lost with it. Not only were Commander Kirk, Commander Picard, and Ensign Crusher alive and well, but would someone mind terribly telling Captain Kirk he was going to be a grandfather in five months or so? Juliana Kirk kissed him, thanked him for risking his safety for the Voyager's sake, and her father's peace of mind.


	16. Part Three :: Chapter Three

Part Three :: Chapter Three

James Kirk sat in his Ready Room on the Enterprise-E, staring at absolutely nothing. His body was still, his mind was not. He rested his chin on his folded hands and wondered, not for the first time, what had ever happened to Juliana and the boys. They'd vanished three months ago on a mission in the Beta Quadrant with the Highlander, Starfleet was about to pronounce them killed in action. The thought of something so tragic happening to Juliana made him physically sick. The door behind him opened and he turned his head.

"James?"

"Come in, Beverley." He sighed and leaned his head back as his wife came in, "Any news?"

"Yes, I thought you should see this." She held out a holo-processor to him, "We received this from Starfleet Command a moment ago, I wouldn't let them bother you until I knew what they wanted."

"Bless you, girl." he kissed his wife's hand and took the projector, "It's a holo?"

"I think you should see it. I have." Beverley smiled and he set the projector on the table. He activated it and watched a six-inch figure come to life. It was...Juliana!

"Julie!" he leaned forward as his daughter's figure steadied. She was beaming.

"Greetings from the Delta Quadrant, Captain. If this message reaches you, then the Doctor accomplished his goal. I can't explain everything, but I just wanted to let you and Beverley know that we're all safe. We've joined the Voyager's crew here in the Delta Quadrant. If you see Admiral McCoy, can you tell him I've gone back to my roots?"

"God _bless _that girl! They're alive, Beverley!"

"Keep watching." She prompted, "Watch."

"I have some news for you and I was dying to share it in person, but seeing as I'm stuck 60,000 lightyears from home, this message will have to serve it's purpose. In about five months or so, if Lieutenant Paris and I did the math correctly, you'll be grandparents."

"Grandparents!"

"We don't know the sex of the baby, and honestly we don't want to. I've been banished from Engineering by Lieutenant Torres, who almost ate me alive the first time I went down there to see Jean-Luc, who, of course, is just thrilled. I think some part of him always wanted children. I hope this reaches you and I hope it's good news. We're all here, we're all alive, and we're all looking for ways to get home again. Don't worry about us. Love you, Dad. Love you, Beverley." That was the end of the message, the image disappeared, and James stared in absolute shock.

"Grandparents?" he looked at Beverley, "We're really going to be _grandparents_?"

"We should tell the others, I didn't let _anyone _else see it." Beverley hugged him, "Come on, I've had Will and Deanna threatening to drag it out of me." She pulled him out of the chair, picked up the transmitter, and led him out of the Ready Room. James could barely think straight. He was going to be a grandfather! Incredible!

"That's a nice change." Will Riker teased, "You're smiling this time. Would someone _please _tell us what's going on? Admiral Paris was practically jumping up and down he was so excited."

"Just a moment, Number One." He sat down in the center chair and played with the comm. controls, waiting for the affirmative chime, "Attention all Enterprise crew, this is your Captain speaking. We lately received a transmission from Starfleet Command with some incredibly good news. Contact was made just very briefly with Voyager which was believed lost with all hands aboard when they disappeared four years ago in the Badlands. All is well with the Voyager and they're looking for a way home. On a different note of celebration, I'm going to be a grandfather in five months, news I received through a message from my daughter Juliana Kirk. Captain out." He leaned back in his chair and smiled. Despite having Juliana and the boys 60,000 lightyears away, he was at peace knowing they were safe and with Captain Janeway.

"Wait a minute!" Will gawked, "You're going to be a grandfather? How did _that _happen?"

"I assume at some moment when we all had our backs turned, Number One." He chuckled, "I'm going to guess your former captain is just bouncing off the walls with excitement."

"He would be, yes. Wow. Congratulations, sir."

"I am content, Number One. I know my children are safe." His senior officers exchanged knowing smiles. He had long ago come to see Wesley and Jean-Luc as his sons, everyone was aware of that. All was well with his world.

* * *

Five months later, Juliana was in Sickbay sorting vials and cataloguing the cases accordingly. She was putting a finished case on a shelf when she felt something give way in her womb. Jerking her hand back, she leaned against the open door of the supply shelf. She had begged Tom and the Doctor to let her keep working even after her water broke and contractions started. It kept her distracted and it actually helped keep her discomfort low. They were _not _allowed to call down to Engineering or to the Bridge, however. Gritting her teeth, Juliana pressed one hand to her womb and felt the movement of both muscle contractions and her baby. Up until now, it had been bearable, but the contractions were stronger and she knew she couldn't keep working. She closed the shelf and sank to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Juliana?" Tom called, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Doctor Kirk, are you alright?" there was the Doctor. Juliana groaned and pressed her palms flat to the deck beneath her.

"Call…Engineering!" she croaked, "Call the Bridge!" Juliana wasn't doing this without them. Tom came into the closet and found her sitting on the floor.

"Whoa! Julie!" he dropped to one knee, slapping his combadge, "Paris to Engineering and Bridge. Captain Janeway, Commander Picard, Ensigns Crusher and Kim report to Sickbay immediately!"

"Thanks!" she whispered as he slipped one arm around her shoulders and helped her stand up. He lifted her easily into his arms, carried her out of the closet and laid her on a bed.

"I know you want them here." He smiled and took her hand, "Not so bad until now, huh?"

"Hah!" she exhaled sharply, "Ugh! Ugh!"

"Easy does it, Doctor Kirk." The Doctor coached. Juliana fell back against the bed, trying not to panic. Panicking only made the pain worse.

"Where are they?"

"They're coming, don't worry." Tom promised as the Doctor made everything ready, "Keep breathing, Julie, just relax."

"Easy for…_you _to say! Relax!" she groaned, trying not to bear down. It wasn't time for _that _yet.

* * *

Kathryn Janeway had enjoyed a quiet morning up until they were hailed by Tom Paris from Sickbay. When he hailed Engineering first, she knew something was wrong.

"Paris to Engineering and Bridge. Captain Janeway, Commander Picard, Ensigns Crusher and Kim report to Sickbay immediately!" There was a tone of urgency in Paris's voice she wasn't used to hearing and Kathryn turned in her seat to look at Wesley Crusher who manned the comm. station behind her.

"Sickbay?" She frowned and tapped the comm.-control on her chair arm, "Bridge to Sickbay. Tom, what's going on down there?"

"Captain, you'd better get down here quick. She's already asked for you three times."

"Juliana?" she frowned, then it occurred to her why Tom had requested so many of them from two very different sections of Voyager. She shoved out of her chair, "Ensign Crusher, you're with me. Chakotay, you have the Bridge until I either return or make contact from Sickbay."

"What's going on, Captain?" Her First was confused. She stepped into the lift with Crusher behind her and smiled at her observant Bridge Crew.

"I believe, if all goes well, Commander Picard is about to become a father. You have the Bridge, Commander."

"Aye, Captain!" the broad smile that split his dark face was heartening. When they arrived in Sickbay, Kathryn heard Juliana's cries. Picard and Kim had already beaten them from Engineering, which didn't really surprise her. It looked like Tom had everything under control, and Kathryn waved over the observant Doctor.

"How is she?"

"She has progressed to the point that delivery is imminent. I'm glad you're here, Captain."

"So am I." Kathryn smiled and approached the bed.

"Captain!" Juliana gasped, reaching for her. Kathryn took the girl's hand, smoothed her sweat-damp hair.

"You have the Bridge in suspense, Doctor."

"Sorry…to keep them waiting." She grunted, "Ugh!"

"Easy, Julie. Don't fight it." Picard coached from the other side of the bed. Kathryn looked across at him and smiled. She remembered their wedding ceremony three months ago, how they had promised each other a late honeymoon once things had settled down. From the foot of the bed, Tom coached her through the worst of it and at one point, Kathryn honestly thought Juliana was going to break Picard's hand. But then it was over. The long, lusty wail followed Juliana's exhausted collapse.

"Tom?" Kathryn watched her pilot as he worked at a station nearby.

"A perfectly healthy girl." Tom was beaming as he passed off the towel-wrapped bundle, "No problem with her lungs."

"She's _cute_!" Harry Kim leaned over as Kathryn claimed Captain's privilege to hold her first, "What are you gonna name her?" The new parents looked at each other and Kathryn smiled. They obviously hadn't thought about it that much. She surrendered the newborn to the exhausted mother.

"I…we didn't really think about it." Juliana looked at Picard, "We've been so busy."

"Bridge to Sickbay. Captain, what's going on down there?" Chakotay had lost patience. Juliana's eyes widened.

"You weren't joking!"

"I told you. They're all waiting." Kathryn folded her arms.

"I'll take this one." Juliana looked down at her daughter, then up again, "Kirk to Chakotay."

"Doctor!"

"Sorry to have kept you all waiting up there, Commander."

"Doctor…how…how are you?"

"_We _are fine, Commander." Juliana looked at Kathryn, "I think I'll be here for a long time yet, you're welcome anytime to see her yourself."

"Her? It was a_ girl_?"

"Yes, Commander. It was a girl. And she's absolutely perfect." Picard added, and Kathryn shook her head.

"I'm thinking Tuvok's about to get the Bridge." Kathryn whispered to Wesley and Harry.

"Yes, ma'am." Five minutes later, Chakotay charged into Sickbay, completely out of breath.

"I left Tuvok the Bridge, I came down as fast as I could!"

"Come here, Chakotay." Kathryn waved her First Officer to join them, and he padded over. His eyes were bright and hopeful.

"Do you want to hold her, Commander?" Juliana was sitting up, wrapped in a blue robe. The first feeding had gone well and the baby now slept.

"I don't…"

"You're not going to hurt her. Come here and say hello." Juliana smiled and surrendered her newborn daughter to Kathryn's awestruck First.

"Have you named her?"

"Not yet. We were thinking of Amélie." Picard sat on the bed with Juliana, and Kathryn had to admit they were being very good about sharing. They only stayed a little longer before leaving to give the family time alone and to let Juliana rest.


	17. Part Three :: Chapter Four :: Part I

**_AN: Here's Part One of Chapter Four, which turned itself into a two-part affair. Juliana gets creative and gives The Doctor the one thing he's always wanted and the only thing he really ever asked for: a name. I thought Robert Lawrence had a nice ring to it. Robert is a nod to Robert Picardo, the actor who played The Doctor throughout the extent of Voyager's run on TV. Enjoy!_**

**_As usual, all customary disclaimers apply and nothing but Juliana and a few other odds and ends in this long tale belong to me._**

* * *

Part Three :: Chapter Four

Part I

Following the birth of their daughter Amélie, Juliana and Jean-Luc applied for family quarters and Juliana took five months of maternity leave. When she returned to work at the end of that five months, everyone was glad to see her back.

"We missed our CMO." Tom Paris said about two weeks after she had started work again.

"How could you have missed the Doctor? He was here the whole time." She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Because, my dear, you are a far better doctor than I." The Doctor, just passing by on his rounds, said with a smile. Juliana blushed.

"I never meant to replace anyone, Doctor. Not you, especially." Paris and the Doctor looked at each other and smiled. Even if she hadn't meant to replace the hologram, Juliana had to admit she had fallen in her old routine. She had more experience in a Sickbay than on a Bridge anyway, and Admiral McCoy had always said he would never trust an Enterprise Sickbay to anyone else. And, at one time or another in her life, she _had _been entrusted with an Enterprise Sickbay. She sighed and pushed back from the table, "Well, if you boys will excuse me, I have a few things to take care of. One of them quite small and I imagine very hungry."

"No problem." Paris waved, "She's getting big, Doc."

"You're telling _me_." She rolled her eyes and left Sickbay, heading to quarters. When she stepped through the door, she had to stop for a moment.

"Jean-Luc, I swear you have a sixth sense." She leaned against the door and shook her head. Jean-Luc sat on the couch in the living room, feeding Amélie from a bottle. He looked up and smiled at her.

"I've waited over half my lifetime for this, you'll forgive me if I want some time with my daughter."

"You're welcome to it." She padded across the room and sat down with him, "I think she's starting to look like you."

"She may look like me, but she _acts _more like you."

"She's six months old, Jean, how can she act like me?"

"Just a hunch." He kissed her on the cheek, "You look distracted."

"I need to speak to Captain Janeway, I had a strange conversation with Lieutenant Paris and the Doctor in Sickbay a moment ago."

"Trouble?"

"No, no trouble." She reassured him, smoothing the crease out of his forehead with her fingers, "But I've been accused of taking over as the Voyager's CMO."

"I don't think the Doctor minds, and I can tell you the crew really doesn't."

"Spending so much time in Sickbay in my first lifetime stuck with me." She leaned down and kissed Amélie's forehead, marveling at how perfect she was. After taking five minutes to just be with her family, Juliana went off to see the Captain. Upon reaching the Bridge, she found Chakotay in charge.

"Good morning, Doctor." The First Officer greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Commander. Where is the Captain?" she couldn't help return the smile. Chakotay pointed to the doors leading to the Ready Room. Juliana just smiled. A Captain's work was never finished.

"I don't think she'd mind an interruption."

"Carefully timed interruptions are a Starfleet Captain's best friend." She smiled and headed for the Ready Room. Pressing the panel, she was bade enter from the other side of the doors and went into the Ready Room, "Captain?"

"Come in, Doctor Kirk." The Captain looked up from her desk and smiled. Carefully timed and welcome indeed. She stepped into the Ready Room.

"Do you have a moment?"

"Certainly. Is something wrong?"

"Why do people always assume the worst when someone asks for a minute to talk?" she made such a face, "My father did it, still _does_, Doctor McCoy did it, Commander Picard did it. Nothing's wrong, I just wanted…to talk." She clasped her hands behind her back.

"Sit down. I know that look." The Captain forgot her work and came to Juliana, guiding her to the couch, "What's going on?"

"Can I ask you something and ask for an honest answer?"

"Certainly."

"Have I…replaced the Doctor?"

"No, not at all! Why do you say that?" her question took the Captain by surprise.

"You lost your original CMO when you were brought here by The Caretaker, didn't you?"

"I lost my whole medical team. When you started taking over in Sickbay, none of us minded because someone down there knew what they were doing. The Doctor's program wasn't meant to run this long." The Captain looked at her hands and then at Juliana, "Can you blame us for wanting someone who served in Admiral McCoy's Sickbay?"

"When you put it that way." Juliana rested her chin on her hands, "Not really."

"You have a way with people, Juliana. And, from personal experience, I can tell you there's just something comforting about a Human touch when you're on your back in Sickbay."

"You do have an affinity for getting into trouble, Captain." She smiled, but sobered, "What would the rest of the crew say, though? If we went forward and I _did _become the Voyager's CMO."

"I doubt there would be much objection. Tom and Kes both adore you, they missed you while you were on leave."

"Tom started this whole mess, if you must know. He said they'd missed their CMO."

"_We_ did." Janeway looked at her sternly, "You would be the youngest Starfleet Officer to be named Chief Medical Officer of a starship's crew."

"There's a first time for everything." She sighed, "If you want me, Captain, I'll gladly take over in the capacity of the Voyager's Chief Medical Officer."

"I will speak to the Doctor and your fellow medical officers and see what they think, but I do not foresee any objection."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence, Captain." Juliana folded her hands, "It's been a long time since I was Chief Medical Officer."

* * *

By the end of that week, it was common knowledge on the Voyager that Juliana Kirk had taken over as the ship's Chief Medical Officer, a change many of the crew welcomed. It was familiar territory for the young officer, and it wasn't long before Voyager's Sickbay was being run just the way Admiral McCoy had once run _his _Sickbays. But the first thing she did was for the EMH, making good of a request he had once made of Captain Janeway and Kes alike. She added a new subroutine to his programming one night before shutting down for the night, and when she reported for duty the next morning, she stepped into a dark, empty Sickbay. She looked around, "Computer, bring up lights." The day-lights came up, and Juliana proceeded to her office with a smirk, "Computer, activate Robert Lawrence."

"Please state the nature of your medical emergency." She received the customary greeting and sat down at her desk.

"Good morning, Doctor Lawrence." She pulled up the screen of her computer, "Looks like I'll have to see about reprogramming your start-up. I'll work on that today." She looked up and smiled at the somewhat baffled expression on his face, "Is there a problem, Doctor?"

"No, but…did you call me Doctor Lawrence?"

"Yes, I did, sir. I'm glad you noticed." She picked up one of the many PADDS littering her desk, "Have a seat." He sat down, she could tell he was processing the information she'd just given him. She finished up reports from last night and changed the EMH's status on the computer to reflect last night's changes.

"You…you gave me a name!"

"Robert Lawrence. It was the only thing you've ever really asked for." She picked up another PADD, "What do you think of it?"

"I'm…speechless. Thank you, Doctor Kirk."

"You're welcome." Juliana looked up and smiled. After finishing six more reports, she decided to report to the bridge. She got up from the desk and left Sickbay.

"Where are _you _going?"

"To report to Captain Janeway on the bridge." She smiled, "You're coming with me." Despite having a mobile emitter, the Doctor rarely left Sickbay for much of anything. His eyes just lit up and he asked her to wait a moment. When she stepped out of Sickbay, he was right behind her.


	18. Part Three :: Chapter Four :: Part II

Part Three :: Chapter Four

Part II

Kathryn Janeway was nursing a headache and just wanted some good news, maybe a cup of coffee. The morning had been quiet so far, and she was considering paying a visit to Sickbay when the bridge doors swept open and admitted the same two people she wanted to see the most.

"Doctor Kirk!"

"Good morning, Captain." Juliana Kirk smiled, a pleasant, friendly smile that every crewmember who visited Sickbay got to see when they presented with some malady or another.

"Good morning, Doctors." She got up, happy to see them. Chakotay got up as well out of respect for the senior medical officers.

"We were just chatting and Doctor Kirk has done me a rather unexpected favor." the EMH smiled, "I am still at a loss as to how I might best express my gratitude."

"What did you do, Julie?" their good humor was infectious, it was hard not to smile.

"I took the liberty of giving the good Doctor a name, Captain." Juliana had the grace to blush, "His program can now be activated either by the standard command or by name." This wasn't just _good _news, this was wonderful news. For the last four years, the only thing the Doctor had consistently _asked _for when asked if there was anything personal he wanted for himself was a name.

"So, by what _name_ do we call you, Doctor?"

"Doctor Lawrence will suffice, Captain, thank you. It feels rather good to answer to a name."

"I know what you mean, Doctor Lawrence." She tried the name out to see how it sounded. It seemed to fit his personality, but she didn't know why it felt so right to call him that way. Kathryn didn't miss Doctor Kirk and Doctor Lawrence shaking hands for their first successful introduction and when the pair left the bridge, chatting about some finding or another on a recent medical scan, she knew they were off to make sure the rest of the crew was aware of the change.

"Well, would you look at that?" Chakotay chuckled, "And here I was thinking the Scotts were Starfleet's resident miracle-workers."

"It's only right, Commander, he's been a member of this crew for the past four years. The least we can do is offer the courtesy of a name." She sat down again, deciding to visit Sickbay later after things had calmed down.

* * *

After giving Voyager's EMH a name, Juliana Kirk picked up a willing assistant. Spending most of her time with him, she knew the EMH was really very personable, he just had problems socializing along with everyone else. When they lost Kes later that year, Juliana, Doctor Lawrence, and Lieutenant Paris took over Sickbay duties and split three ways between them.


	19. Part Three :: Chapter Five

**_AN: Update! Shocking, I know. It's been three months, I figured why not? Here's Chapter Five, dealing with Endgame, which I admittedly never saw but have read about enough to have a general idea of how it worked out and enough to use it for my own purposes. Enjoy!_**

**_All usual disclaimers apply. Damn it._**

* * *

Chapter Five

The journey home to the Alpha Quadrant was not without its ups and downs, and there were times when Juliana and Jean-Luc began to wonder if they would _ever _see home again. But they each dedicated themselves to the cause and kept up hope if not for themselves then certainly for Amélie, who quickly became the darling of Commander Chakotay as she matured.

Approximately one month after Amélie's third birthday, and three weeks before the due-date for her second child, Juliana was in Sickbay sorting boxes of hyposprays, one eye on Amélie as she played in Juliana's office, stacking colored blocks made out of wood. The door opened and she looked up.

"Captain!"

"Doctor Kirk, I need a favor." It was obvious there was something wrong, Juliana had never seen the Captain look quite so severe in the three years she had been Voyager's Chief Medical Officer.

"Certainly, Captain. What's wrong?" She set down her work and quietly ordered a sound-barrier placed between the office and the main bay.

"I need proof of a claim." The Captain turned to the woman standing behind her and Juliana gasped, looking from one to the other.

"Captain!"

"Will you do it?"

"Of course! Of course." She picked up the nearest medical tri-corder and waved the pair to a nearby bed.

"Doctor Juliana Picard. By god you are _so _young." The older woman smiled wistfully. Juliana looked up from the tri-corder.

"How do you know me?"

"We were old friends."

"The DNA scan will have to run for at least another hour for accurate results to come back, but everything else looks fine, Captain." Juliana let the final scan run it's course, transmitting it to her central computer so she could track it from there. One of the twins chose that precise moment to remind her of it's exact position under her ribcage and she winced.

"Julie?" the Captain was at her side in a heartbeat, one hand on her sleeve.

"I'm sorry. Ugh, the closer we get, the feistier the twins become." She inhaled as deeply as she could and let it go slowly, brushing the abused ribs with her fingertips.

"Just take it easy, Julie. You _know _Doctor Lawrence would be more than happy to fill in for you."

"I'm seriously considering activating his program full-time again." She leaned against a diagnostic-bed, wondering at all the trouble the twins had caused lately. Since it was almost impossible to naturally conceive multiples, Jean-Luc had insisted that at least one of the twins be given a name meaning miracle or blessing. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Voyager's chief tactical officer and security chief, had suggested Kudaya, which was a Vulcan word for blessing. Juliana was seriously considering the names Delta and Kudaya for her children, once they finally came. She let the Captain leave, knowing she had other places to be and other duties to attend, not missing how the Captain stopped in the office to play with Amélie, who proudly showed off her colored blocks to "Nanie Kay".

"She's a lovely child. Is she Jean-Luc's?"

"All three of them are his, but these last two seem content to take their sweet time." Juliana turned to their singular guest, of whom she had been entirely unaware until a few minutes ago, and smiled, "Did you ever have children?"

"No, I never married." The woman, who looked like an older version of the Captain, smiled wistfully as the pair in the office built up a tower and then knocked it over on purpose, "But your children always brought me so much happiness. Just like now."

"AJ can't quite pronounce Aunt Katie yet, she just calls the Captain Nanie Kay instead." Juliana folded her arms across her chest, wondering if this woman was the person she claimed to be, but having no reason to doubt her at all.

"Just a heads up, Doctor, she'll never call me anything else."

"Why not?"  
"I wouldn't let her." The woman's smile was wistful and sad, leaving Juliana to wonder what became of her daughter. When the Captain left, she was in a _much _better mood.

"I assume AJ had a similar effect on you, Admiral?"

"Yes, it seems your Captain is guilty of the same crime as I was. Stealing five minutes to play with your daughter was one of the few things I took any great pleasure in on our journey home. As she grew older, our games changed but I would always find time for her."

"Older?"

"Doctor, by the time I finally got home to the Alpha Quadrant, your daughter was twenty-six years old and bearing the field-rank of Lieutenant."

"AJ's only three years old!"  
"I know."

"You…you came _back _in time to help us get home faster! Temporal Investigations is going to _love _this."  
"Do you believe me?"

"I don't want to be stranded out here for twenty-three years, Admiral. I'll pull rank as CMO if I have to." Juliana frowned, wondering how they could possibly get home faster. One of the twins had detected her distress and distracted her with another kick. Much gentler than the first kick, but a sturdy nudge none the less. The Admiral watched her expression change and smiled, reaching out with one hesitant hand.

"May I?"

"They must be doing headstands, the only thing that ever gets kicked in there is my rib-cage." She guided the woman's hand to the last location kicked and waited, "They respond to touch. There it goes."

"He must be beside himself."

"He's beside himself with _worry_, I'll tell you that. I haven't been allowed below Deck 8 in three months."

"Who's keeping you out?"

"Jean-Luc has teamed up with B'Elanna, Tom, Wesley, and Harry to keep me out of Engineering at all costs, and I'd be a damn fool to think they didn't have the Captain's blessing _and _Chakotay's."

"He gave her those colored blocks, didn't he?" the Admiral's smile became sad.

"Yes, they're her favorite toy, she doesn't play with anything else." Juliana leaned against the bed, "If I leave her here with Doctor Lawrence, I'll come back five, ten minutes later and Chakotay's in here with her, playing with her like there's nothing better to do with his time. She absolutely adores him."

"She always did." The Admiral chuckled, "There was a time from about the age of four until she must have been ten or eleven when she would sneak out of her bed and find him. Sometimes his bed would be empty, but it never stayed that way for long."

"Uncle Tay, she loves her crazy Uncle Tay."

"AJ cried hardest at his funeral, you know. I've never seen a girl so heartbroken in my life."  
"What killed him?" Juliana couldn't imagine loosing Chakotay, it hurt just to think about it.

"A broken heart. I honestly thought she'd go after him, she spent three days at his grave, just crying."

"That's terrible! Three days?"

"Nothing could make her leave, nothing we said, did, or threatened to do could make her leave. It rained for two days, she still didn't leave. When the doctors told us she had contracted viral pneumonia, they suggested making arrangements."

"Oh, AJ."

"But she knew that wasn't what Chakotay would have wanted her to do, he was always telling her to be the stronger person, to prove everybody else wrong."

"Sounds like something he keeps telling _me_." She chuckled, watched Amélie stack her blocks, knock them over, and then drag over the box they were kept in, stacking them neatly inside. Juliana pushed away from the bed, "There's the sign I've been waiting for. Naptime." She went into the office, the Admiral close behind, "Alright, _ma cherí_, time for your afternoon nap."

"Not tired." Amélie looked up at her, Jean-Luc's stubborn hazel eyes challenging her.

"You are your father's child, love. Come on, I'm too tired to fight with you." She reached down and picked up the box to put it away. That gave Amélie a perfect view of Admiral Janeway, and her eyes widened. She pointed an excited, imperious finger at the Admiral.

"Tante! Tante!" It was the first time Juliana had heard her daughter use a French word for something and turned from setting the box on a low shelf.

"What's that, Amélie?"

"Tante!" Amélie pointed at the Admiral, it was clear she knew the woman.

"How interesting." Juliana folded her arms, "She knows who you are, and yet she knows you're _not _the same person. She would have called you Nanie Kay otherwise."

"This is something I can handle." The Admiral just smiled and stepped into the office, reaching down to scoop up a touchy, affectionate Amélie, "There, my darling. Aren't you tired?"

"Play some more, Tante."

"No, no, lovely. You put your blocks away, it's time for your nap." The Admiral smoothed Amélie's curly hair, her smile content but sad, "You promised Uncle Tay that when you put your blocks away, you would take your nap. Didn't you?"

"Yes, Tante." Amélie curled up in the Admiral's arms, obviously very happy and very comfortable there, "Promised Uncle Tay."

"Then let's keep our promise and take a nap, hmm? Come along, you're already falling asleep." Sure enough, Amélie's eyelids drooped to half-mast and she dozed off against the Admiral's shoulder. Juliana was dumbfounded. Amélie's pre-nap hissy-fits were only to be expected, you could usually hear them two decks in either direction.

"Mind my asking how many times you had to do _this_?"

"More than I bothered counting. I learned early that if you treat her like an adult, she'll respond like one. She's so smart for her age."

"I'll have to remember that for the future." Juliana smiled, following them out, "Thank you."

"Finish whatever you were doing, I know where I'm going." the Admiral smiled reassuringly and left Sickbay with Amélie sound asleep in her arms. Once the door had closed, Juliana exhaled.

"Computer, activate Doctor Lawrence." She gave the command, "I need some serious help."

"Good afternoon, Doctor Kirk!"

"Good afternoon, Doctor Lawrence. Amélie has gone down for her nap and I plan to follow. Would you mind keeping an eye on things for a while?"

"Oh certainly! You are very tired and I imagine a few hours would benefit your health." Lawrence smiled sympathetically, running a scan out of habit, "Have the twins been much trouble?"

"No more than usual, but I will admit I could do with out the cartwheels and somersaults."

"They're simply moving into position for the final push, you know."

"And I'm looking forward to that final push myself. Thanks, Rob." She waved, left Sickbay, and returned to her quarters. She found Admiral Janeway sitting in the rocking-chair, still holding Amélie. It made her smile, and it was obvious Janeway was content. She passed into the bedroom without a word, stripped off her uniform, and crawled under the sheets for a brief nap.


	20. Part Three :: Chapter Six

Part Three :: Chapter Six

When it had been two hours since she had seen or heard from her future self, Kathryn Janeway began to wonder. She wasn't worried yet, she knew the woman was still on the ship, the question was _where_. She was on Deck 12 when it occurred to her that no one had seen or heard from her counterpart in two hours, and she paused.

"Computer, locate Admiral Janeway."

"Captain Janeway is on Deck 12."

"Not _Captain _Janeway, you stupid computer, I said _Admiral _Janeway! Where is _Admiral _Janeway?" she wasn't surprised, but she _was _frustrated.

"Admiral Janeway is on Deck 4, Room 1701."

"That's more like it." She smiled, "I wonder what she's doing in there." With a shrug, she visited Main Engineering first, and then went in search of her counterpart. When she gained access to the cabin, she went inside with care. It was very quiet inside, which mean most if not all of the inhabitants were asleep. She didn't have the heart to call out, knowing Amélie Picard wasn't the world's heaviest sleeper. She peeked into the bedroom and found Juliana sound asleep. If anyone deserved sleep, it was her CMO. Turning from the bedroom, she smiled. Her counterpart had rocked Amélie to sleep for her nap, in the process falling asleep herself. Kathryn didn't have the heart to wake them, so she left quietly. She had returned to the bridge when Admiral Janeway surfaced, and Kathryn had to admit the woman looked rested and content. Such was a benefit of holding Amélie Picard. She got to her feet and smiled.

"Admiral. You look rested."

"Take what you can where you can find it, Captain."

"I'll remember that." She linked her hands behind her back and wondered exactly what Admiral Janeway's plan entailed for the rest of them. As long as it got them home in one piece, as long as she would see the Alpha Quadrant sooner, she was willing to listen.

* * *

In the end, Admiral Janeway sacrificed herself for Voyager and her crew, allowing them to reach the Alpha Quadrant by way of a Borg transwarp conduit, which they collapsed in their wake. It was rough going, but when they shot out of the collapsing Borg sphere that had chased and captured them, it was clear to those on the bridge they were home at last. Seven Starfleet vessels were waiting for…something to happen. The bridge-crew had just heaved it's sigh of relief when they were hailed from Sickbay.

"Sickbay to Bridge, Lieutenant Paris."

"Paris here. Julie? You should see this."

"Lieutenant Paris, would you mind handing over the helm for a few minutes?"

"Doctor Lawrence?"

"There's someone down here I think you'd like to say hello to." The openly stunned expression on the pilot's face was almost comical. It was obvious he'd completely forgotten about his pregnant wife.

"B'Elanna!" he cleared his station and bolted across the bridge, forgetting to ask if he could leave. Captain Janeway just chuckled.

"Jean-Luc, take Tom's place. Do you mind?" She turned to the stations behind the command chairs. Jean-Luc Picard took the helm controls with a quiet precision they had all come to appreciate, "Commander Picard, set a course…for home."

"Aye, Captain." He smiled broadly and laid in a course for Earth, now less than a light-year away. So close! They were so _close_! As they left behind the ruins of the conduit, Janeway looked across at her First Officer and smiled. He reached across the console between them and took her hand in his, quietly intertwining their fingers. Nothing was said between the commanding officers, nothing was necessary.

* * *

As he took over Voyager's helm from Tom Paris, Jean-Luc Picard didn't miss the quiet, intimate celebration behind him. Unable to help himself, he looked over his shoulder as Kathryn Janeway left the bridge to Chakotay. He didn't miss how she hesitated just a heartbeat before going into the Ready Room, looking back over her shoulder to the First Officer. A married man, just a month past three years, he knew a come-hither look when he saw one and shot Chakotay a quick, knowing look. Yes, the First had noticed _that _look from the Captain. Jean-Luc chuckled as the doors closed behind the Captain, and turned to the console again.

"The bridge is yours, Mister Picard." Chakotay didn't even wait a full minute to follow.

"Yes, sir." He couldn't keep the smirk out of his voice as he kept them on course for home as the First Officer left the bridge. He looked over at the Ready Room door as it opened and gave Chakotay a thumbs-up. Then he crossed his fingers.

* * *

Down in Sickbay, meanwhile, Juliana Kirk had her hands closed around B'Elanna's forearms while the other girl coached her.

"Julie, Julie, look at me, sweetie." B'Elanna coaxed, "Julie."

"_What_?" She snapped.

"Breathe, Julie." B'Elanna smiled, "Just _breathe_. It's easier."

"_Easier_? Hah! Ngh!" she clenched her teeth and tried not to push. The stress of getting through the Borg defenses and into the conduit undetected until too late had taken its toll on Juliana and she'd gone into premature labor. She swore if Jean-Luc or any of the boys dared show their faces she'd scream. Instead of screaming, however, she lapsed into fluent Klingon. B'Elanna looked at her, her expression was priceless, and then she just started laughing and couldn't stop.

"Did _I _teach you those words? Oh, Julie!"

"No…grr!" she pushed when Doctor Lawrence told her to, eased up, "Worf...did."

"That wasn't very gentlemanly of him, was it?"

"He just told me they were words unfit for a…lady. I had to…ugh…look them up on my own. Huh." She dropped her chin to her chest, "Huh-uh. You should have seen Commander Riker's face when he caught me looking them up on the translator."

"I'm sure he was properly mortified." B'Elanna snickered.

"Juliana, the first twin is crowning. Push. And, ah, feel free to voice your pain if you'd like." Doctor Lawrence coached from foot of the low birthing table. Juliana threw her head back and heaved. Something gave way, she yelped, and that was it for round one. As she caught her breath and Doctor Lawrence caught the baby, she glared at B'Elanna, who wore a disgustingly pleasant smile.

"If Jean-Luc tells me he wants _any more _children…"

"You can always adopt, Julie." B'Elanna soothed, stroking her damp hair, "Just relax."

"Considering…this was _you _a few minutes ago, Bel, I'm…stunned." She groaned as twin number two decided it was his turn. Thankfully, he didn't take as long coming as his sister had.

"Is it safe to come out yet?" Tom Paris called from another part of the Sickbay where he was cuddling baby Miral.

"Yes, Tom." Juliana looked at B'Elanna and smiled, "Who wants to bet Miral rules with an iron fist?" Tom emerged carefully from his hiding spot, carrying his daughter.

"I'm not going to get eaten alive?"

"You wuss." Juliana rolled her eyes and took her son from Doctor Lawrence, "Sickbay to Bridge."

"Go ahead." She got Jean-Luc.

"What's _he _doing on the Bridge?"

"Covering for me." Tom grinned.

"Ah. Jean-Luc, is it possible for you to come down to Sickbay?"

"Julie?"

"I'm _fine_, you big worrywart."

"Yes, but…may I ask why?"

"I've got something for you. Well," she looked at B'Elanna, who held Juliana's daughter, "actually, I think it would be more accurate to say I've got _two _somethings for you. Get down here." She waited precisely three seconds for the startled gasp and a fluent stream of French. Then it went silent.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that, Julie, it's not nice." Tom scolded, "So, have you decided on names yet?"

"I liked the name Kudaya."

"That'll make Tuvok happy." Tom leaned over to look at her son, "He suggested that name, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did." Juliana cuddled her children, not at all surprised when Jean-Luc appeared with Amélie in hand. He didn't even apologize, she didn't ask for one. Doctor Lawrence deactivated his program and Tom and B'Elanna crept away to give them some time alone.

"Oh, Julie, they're beautiful!" Jean-Luc was beside himself, Amélie leaned close and kissed her sister's forehead.

"Hi, pretty baby."

"Did we make it back?"

"You'd better believe we did. Seven ships were waiting for…well, not for us but we're what they got."

"Oh, Jean! That's wonderful!"

"We're home, Julie, after three bloody years we made it home again. Do you think your father's a basket-case yet?"

"Was that really a question?" she chuckled, "I can't believe we're _home_."

"But is it really home anymore?" Jean-Luc leaned over her as he cradled their son. Juliana knew what he meant. After so much time with the Voyager, how would they adjust to Earth again, to their real families?

* * *

**_Babies and homecomings. And a few Klingon curse-words in there, too. I don't know any Klingon, and I was too lazy to look up any online translators while I was hammering this sucker out, so...meh. Be creative. Thanks for reading! Review, please? It helps, it really does._**


	21. Intermission Part Three

Intermission Part Three

Tragedy struck the Kirk-Picard family a stiff and crippling blow in 2387 when Romulan marauders attacked the U.S.S. Zephyr, leaving it adrift in space. but before they abandoned the crippled starship, they took a prisoner. They seized Captain Picard's nine-year-old daughter Delta, the first of twins and the youngest of two daughters. Why they did not take Amélie or their son Kudaya was a question that plagued Captain Picard and his wife, Doctor Kirk and robbed them of sleep and sanity. Their little girl was gone, taken from them by the Romulans. A few months later, with the search in full swing, Ambassador Spock flew to Romulus with all intentions of doing a good deed. They never heard from him again. His ship was swallowed by a black-hole anomaly that was all that remained of a super nova that had threatened the galaxy and destroyed Romulus. Doctor Kirk fainted when she heard about this, the family as a whole was devastated. Delta Picard, for all intents and purposes, was no longer listed as a hostage. Her name was marked and she was declared deceased. If only her parents had known the even more awful truth of their little girl's plight.


	22. Part Four :: Chapter One

**_AN: Part Four! Final chapters ahead! Here begins my third cross-over with ST: XI. I have not the faintest where this part came from, it just happened. I liked it, so I kept writing. Here lies the final results. Enjoy! If you've been following me since February when I first published this beast, congratulations for sticking with me so long and for your patience. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone, and I know there are no spoilers from here-on out. If you haven't seen the newest Star Trek movie with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, please go see it. It's wonderful, it's different, it's...Star Trek._**

**_As always, the usual disclaimers STILL apply. Not mine, not mine, not mine. _**

**_

* * *

_**

Part Four :: Chapter One

**2258 Alternate Reality**

As Jim Kirk trudged across the icy wastes of Delta Vega, he cursed Spock and Fate and the universe at large just for good measure. Suddenly, he heard the strangest sound. Looking up, for it came from the sky, he watched something streak through the cloud-cover, trailing black smoke, and hit the deck as it crashed to earth not twenty yards distant of him. His tri-corder went berserk and he looked at the readings. A pod had just crashed into the ice, with one lifesign aboard. It was Human. Jim scrambled to his feet and raced across the ice. Reaching the pod, which had come to rest in a self-made depression several feet deep, Jim climbed down and got the pod open. Any hopes of rescue were dashed as he saw the pod's one passenger. A child, a Human child of nine years, lay curled up inside.

"What the…" he wasn't even sure she was _alive_, despite what his tri-corder was telling him. But when he manually checked her vitals, he picked up a very faint pulse. He dug through his gear for the emergency kit and tried to remember everything Bones had ever drilled into him about field survival and shock. His fingers shook as he put together the hypospray with a vial marked as a stimulant, dialed in the proper dose or what he _hoped _was the proper dose, he wasn't a doctor after all, and injected it into the girl's bloodstream. Jim found himself praying that she would wake up, that she would prove him wrong and wake up. That thought hadn't composed itself when she came around, gasping and coughing and fighting like mad. He caught her flailing hands.

"Hey, easy there, kid! Easy! You're alright." He rested one hand on her shoulder, waiting for her eyes to focus on _him _instead of on the disorienting whiteness that surrounded them. Hazel eyes that reminded him of Bones for some reason blinked at him. He let her sit up.

"What happened?"

"Your pod crashed. Where did you come from?"

"The Romulan ship."

"The Narada? You're joking!" he almost laughed at her, but he didn't.

"I was…kidnapped. Then I fell into Captain Nero's hands."

"Whoa, whoa, hold that." Jim raised both hands, "You're nine years old! You're telling me you were a hostage of that crazy bastard?"

"I _told _you! I just want to go _home_!"

"If you came in with Nero, getting home won't be easy, I'm not even sure you _can _go home." He was a little confused by the whole alternate realities and time-travel concept, and he knew he had to get the girl off the ice.

"Hey. What's your name?"

"Delta." She hugged her knees, "I'm Delta."

"Delta? You got a last name there?"

"Picard. My name's Delta Picard. Who are you?"

"I'm Jim Kirk, but just Jim is fine for now."

"But…you're…_young_!" she squeaked.

"Says the nine-year-old former hostage." He put his stuff away and got to his feet, "Look, kid, I don't know who you are or even where you _came _from, and that's fine, but if there's anything out here besides us, I don't want to meet any of the locals. We need to find shelter, and I'd like to do that _before _this blizzard unleashes Hell. Can you walk?"

"I don't know."

"Come on, let's get you off the ice." He picked her up and set her on her feet. She got a grand total of three paces before she collapsed in excruciating pain. Jim realized as he scooped her off the ice and kept moving that while Delta had been a hostage, she had been tortured and beaten. She was _nine_! For cryin' out loud, she was a child! You didn't torture children! Well, unless you were a deranged Romulan terrorist like Nero, then maybe you did that kind of sick stuff for fun. Jim ended up carrying Delta on his back along with his backpack, it was easier that way though it doubled his load. It was also awkward, but he didn't have much of a choice.

* * *

Jim almost lost Delta when they were attacked first by a drakoulias and then by a hengrauggi. The drakoulias pulled Delta from Jim's back, but he was fast enough to save her before the thing could drag her away. She'd been hurt bad, but he couldn't treat her because the hengrauggi, drawn to the surface of the ice by all the commotion, came to tussle for it's dinner. The hengrauggi won, and Jim took off across the ice in search of an escape that didn't include getting eaten alive. It chased them to the edge of a plateau, and they were knocked off the edge as it tried to get them. Jim was holding Delta in his arms now, and broke her fall with his own. At the bottom of their fall, they had to keep running and took shelter in a cave. He went in as deep as he could, cowering against the wall and trying to protect Delta. The hengrauggi, furious about loosing it's lunch, came after them. He fired his phaser on low power and not only chased off the hengrauggi but started a cave-in that trapped them _inside_ the ice. Better than outside. Digging a flashlight out of his pockets, where he had stowed some of the gear from the backpack, he turned his attention to Delta, who was way too pale for his liking, and colder than the ice of Delta Vega itself. She had lost a lot of blood and was going into shock. He used another stimulant to stabilize her and looked to see what kind of damage had been done. The drakoulias had grabbed her by the leg to pull her off of Jim, and Jim's stomach almost turned itself inside out when he saw what it had done to Delta. He gave her a shot of triple-strength antibiotics to fight off infection, hoping it wasn't too late already for _that_, and used topical disinfectant to clean up the wound. Delta put up a mean fight, a lot like him actually.

"I'm sorry, Delta." He shook his head as she writhed in pain and hated that it was his fault.

"It hurts!"

"I'm trying to help you, sweetheart, I really am." He reached up and touched her face, "Be strong, you've been so good." Delta gagged herself with the sleeve of her insulated jacket, all he heard was the occasional whimper. He cleaned the wound three times for good measure, then bound it with a cotton square and a roll of self-adehsive bandage tape, the kind Bones used to patch him up when he broke his hand in another bar-fight off-campus.

"That's gonna have to hold until I can get you back to the Enterprise and let Bones take a look." He pulled a thermal blanket from the backpack and shook it out, wrapping it around Delta's shivering frame. It was shock that bred the tremors, all he could do was rub her hands and in the end curl up behind her wrapped in a second blanket to sleep out the storm that had broken over the cave.


	23. Part Four :: Chapter Two

Part Four :: Chapter Two

Spock was more than a little surprised to come out of his meditation to find that the blizzard had finally reared it's ugly head, and _he _had company. Two Human life-signs pinged off his tri-corder's sensors, urging him to investigate. In the other chamber of the cave, he found them asleep on the ice. A man, young, and a child, younger. He was twenty-five, she couldn't have been more than nine years old. As Spock stood over them, wondering how they had come to Delta Vega, the man's eyes flew open and it took all of thirty seconds for him to realize _they _weren't alone anymore. Spock did not move as startled, wild blue eyes took note of his presence, traveled from his boots to his face. Those blue eyes widened and the man sat up slowly.

"You're Vulcan." It wasn't a question, "Are you one of the survivors?"

"No." Spock shook his head, "I was not on Vulcan before it was destroyed, I was here and I watched as Nero devastated my home-world." Something about the boy was familiar, but Spock didn't know what it was. It was in the eyes, it was something in his eyes. For a brief moment, just a very brief moment, Spock could have sworn those eyes flashed hazel. It had to be a trick of the torch-light, but that flash cemented a different face in Spock's mind's eye. He blinked, absolutely astounded, relieved, and saddened.

"Hey, are you alright?" the boy had noticed his lapse and was getting to his feet. Spock looked at him more closely, thinking he had to be wrong.

"_Jim_?" he hardly dared speak the name of his beloved friend. Something shifted and the boy froze.

"Wait a minute. How do you know my name?"

"Oh, my son, you wouldn't believe me if I told you even half my tale."

"You're gonna have to tell me somethin', old man. I ain't stupid. _You _recognized me, I wanna know why."

"You are Jim Kirk, James T. Kirk."

"Yeah, that's my name."

"Your mother is Winona Kirk, your father is George Kirk."

"_Was_ George Kirk. He died the day I was born in the middle of a freakish attack on the U.S.S. Kelvin." The boy grew defensive, hostile, "My mother abandoned me when I was fourteen and took off for space. Haven't heard from or seen her since, and frankly don't _want _to."

"What about your brother, Sam?"

"He's got his own family to worry about, he doesn't need his delinquent little brother making trouble for him." It was Jim alright, but it _wasn't_. Spock was heartbroken. Jim looked him over more closely, "How the hell do you know so much about my family when I've never met you before in my _life_."

"Jim, how did you get here? Why are you on Delta Vega?"

"You want a long story, take a seat. I was on the Enterprise until a little bit ago, got kicked off by Commander Spock for…mutiny, or what else I don't know. I suggested going after Captain Pike, he said no."

"Christopher Pike?"

"Formerly captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise? Yeah, that's him."

"What happened to _him_?" Spock was considering sitting down.

"He was taken hostage by the Romulan Nazis just before Vulcan went the way of Atlantis a minute ago."

"Why didn't I _see _him?"

"Wait a minute, why would you have…hold it, were _you _on that hellish monstrosity?"

"The Narada? Yes, I was, and not by choice. Bring your companion and I will tell you my story." He turned and tried to think of how to best tell his own twisted tale without turning Jim against him when they were the only people either one of them could depend upon on this wasteland world. A few minutes later they were settled more comfortably before Spock's meager fire and he was telling his tale.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. _You're _Spock?"

"Yes."

"And _we _were friends?"

"James T. Kirk was not just a friend. He was my best friend. He was my captain, my equal, my…best of friends."

"What happened?"

"I never had the chance to say goodbye and I never stopped regretting it."

"Why didn't you say goodbye?"

"Because he was declared missing in action in 2293, presumed dead."

"He sounds like an awesome guy." Jim grew sad, "I sure could have used someone like him to give me advice when I was growing up, or just to be there when I didn't have anyone else to go _to_."

"I'm sorry, Jim."

"I've never heard anyone say sorry before. And you didn't do anything." Jim looked up at him, blue eyes flashing with the same intensity _his _Jim had shown when they were arguing some moot point, "No, you didn't do anything beyond what you _had _done already. How could you have known that super nova would move so quickly? And if the Romulans got wiped out, that's their own damn fault for waiting too long! We're still not sure how many Vulcans survived, but that's because they didn't sit on their asses and wait for rescue! They _knew _something was wrong and headed for higher ground!" The girl stirred under her blankets, and Spock watched Jim react with speed and precision.

"Who is the girl?"

"Her name is Delta Picard. I rescued her from a pod that crashed on the ice and again from that hengrauggi and the drakoulias."

"She _is _alive!"

"Not for long if I don't get her help. You know her?"

"I know her parents _very _well! She was kidnapped six months before the super nova consumed Romulus."

"She was captured by Nero, which I plan on taking out of that bastard's filthy Romulan hide if I ever get the chance to wrap my hands around his neck."

"I find it so strange you're this protective of her when you have no idea who she is."

"Who she is don't matter to me, old man. All I know is I was marooned here by _you_, or my version _of _you, and she was marooned here by the Romulans to die. That's enough for me."

"Delta is one-quarter a Kirk."

"Is she mine?"

"She is Admiral Kirk's granddaughter."

"Admiral? Sweet, how'd he end up _there_?" Spock smiled at the excited light in Jim's eyes.

"He took a promotion. It didn't come without much kicking and fighting on his part, he hated being tied down like that. I think that's why he never married until much later in life."

"And yet he had children enough to have grandchildren?"

"Three grandchildren. Amélie, Delta, and Kudaya."

"Three girls?"

"Two daughters and one son." He smiled to think of Kudaya, who was the quiet, bookish one of the lot.

"Well, that's not going to be a problem for _me_. Once I get back to San Francisco, I don't think they'll let me anywhere _near _the Enterprise or any ship in Starfleet for that matter."

"You cheated on the Kobayashi Maru, didn't you?"

"And got slapped with a suspension. Spock accused me of cheating, by the way."

"I accused the Admiral of cheating, and look what happened to us?" he chuckled, remembering the animosity that had festered between them for a long time before he was made First Officer of the Enterprise.

"You didn't throw him off the Enterprise for trying to talk sense into you, though."

"No, I didn't do that." Spock smiled in spite of himself, in spite of the situation, "Though there _were _times over the years where I was sorely tempted."

"And you still didn't?"

"No." Spock sighed, "Stubborn, self-assured, and he was _never _wrong. He was my friend, my captain, and so much more."

"He was everything, I'm…nothing."

"Jim…don't do that to yourself." If there was one thing Spock absolutely _hated_, to this day in fact, it was when Jim would get into these dark moods and second-guess himself. Doctor Crusher wasn't very fond of them either and routinely gave her husband a long-ish lecture on feeling sorry for one's self when there wasn't much to be sorry about.

"I don't know about the Admiral, but I grew up with people telling me I wasn't good enough." Jim shook his head in disgust, it made Spock sad, "My mom wouldn't _look _at me because I reminded her of Dad. I didn't have a family growing up, Ambassador, I didn't have anybody really until I met Bones."

"Ah, Doctor McCoy. I remember _him _fondly enough." Spock chuckled.

"He's rough around the edges, but he's really just a big softie." Jim smiled and Spock sat down at last. While they waited out the storm, Jim kept an eye on Delta, who slept but fitfully.

"You look worried."

"I have to get her back to the Enterprise, she needs help, and I've already done everything I can for her." Jim ran one hand through his hair, "I'm a bloody command officer, damn it, not a doctor!" Spock was so startled by the abruptness of that statement he started laughing. It startled Delta but did not wake her.

"I didn't know Vulcans _could _laugh."

"We don't, but thirty years with you taught me a number of things. I only laughed because Doctor McCoy would always say something very similar."

"Where he tells you he's a doctor, not something else." Jim smiled as he stroked Delta's forehead in a gesture of uncharacteristic tenderness that struck Spock in its careful intimacy.

"You're very fond of her, aren't you?"

"I don't know why, but all I want is for Delta to be safe, healthy, and loved." Jim shook his head at himself, "It's always been me against the world. Nobody cared about Jim Kirk, so I didn't care about anybody else." Spock smiled despite the gravity of the moment.

"I always found it so fascinating how those who so valued their own independence found themselves drawn to others in need of someone to take care of them."

"I don't think Delta needs me as much as I need _her_, and it hurts that I can't do everything I want to so her world is right with itself."

"Jim, you are the only family this girl has. Believe me when I say she needs you more than you think." Spock frowned and raised his head, listening. The roar of the storm had died down a great deal. He sighed and got to his feet, "Let's get you back to the Enterprise, you've been gone long enough." Jim reached over and woke Delta, explaining to her that it was time to leave. Delta didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay and sleep. She was tired.

"I know you're tired, sweetheart, oh I know you're tired. I'll carry you, but we have to leave now."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the Enterprise, I'm just not sure how we're going to get there yet." Jim frowned as he gave Delta another dose of antibiotics after checking the wound on her leg for infection and bundled her up against the cold of Delta Vega's ice-plains, looking up at Spock as he fought with the zupper of Delta's jacket, "Spock, would you mind carrying the gear? I've gotta carry Delta and I can't carry both." Spock just smiled. He had already consolidated their gear into one bag and was fully prepared to carry it as far as he had to, just as Jim was willing to carry Delta wherever he had to go to make her safe again. Jim's dedication to and obvious affection for Delta made Spock happy, and he knew that if they were unable to get back to their own reality, their rightful time, Jim wouldn't hesitate to take Delta as his.


	24. Part Four :: Chapter Three

Part Four :: Chapter Three

An hour after leaving the ice-cave on Delta Vega, Jim Kirk found himself back on the Enterprise. Spock's formula had dropped them off somewhere in Main Engineering. After a short-lived scare with Montgomery Scott and the water turbine, he put Delta in a safe place, the kind of place where you actually had to know she was there to find her, and told her to be good.

"I'll come right back and get you, Delta, but I have to do something on the bridge first and I can't take you with me yet." He knelt before her, hating the idea of leaving her alone in such a strange place and knowing he didn't have much time.

"Don't go, Jim!" she cried, flinging her arms around his neck, "Don't leave me! Please don't go!"

"I _have _to do this, Delta, I _have _to. Spock told me what to do, and I have to go." He felt like a parent leaving his child in a day-care center or at school for the first time, "Be good for me, and stay here. Don't let anyone see you."

"Okay." She was in tears, but she would do whatever he told her, it was Spock's charge to Delta to listen to Jim and do exactly what he told her. Jim hugged her tightly, pressed a kiss to her blonde hair, and pushed her under the secondary maintenance consoles. Getting to his feet, Jim ran one hand through his hair and looked at Scotty, who in Spock Prime's reality had been his chief of engineering.

"Come on, then."

"Eh, where are we goin' again?" the water-logged engineer quipped.

"The bridge Scotty. I have to somehow compromise my own commanding first officer and replace him, all without getting myself killed by the same emotionally unstable Vulcan in the process."

"Oh _that _sounds like fun!"

"Scotty, I _hope _you were joking." He led the way out of Engineering, not at all surprised when they were picked up by Security before they even got out. Jim thought briefly of Delta and hoped Security wouldn't find _her_. Not that they knew where to start looking, but it was a very real concern of his.

* * *

It was nearly an hour before Jim could get back to Engineering and find Delta, by which time he was practically sprinting. He whipped through Main Engineering, ignoring the startled, disgruntled looks he got from his crew, and found Delta's hiding-place quickly. She was sound asleep, and well out of sight. He pulled her out of hiding without waking her, checked her vitals manually, and exhaled slowly as he got to his feet, cradling Delta against his chest. Jim knew he had to get her to Sickbay and left Main Engineering with that goal in mind. If anyone was surprised to see the Acting Captain with a nine-year-old child in his arms, they didn't say anything. When he walked into Sickbay, he looked around for Bones. Christine Chapel, who hated his guts for some reason, glared at him.

"Shove it, Chapel." He snarled, "Where's Doctor McCoy?" Startled by the tone of voice he took with her, Chapel just pointed him towards the office. With a curt nod, he headed across Sickbay. The door was closed, probably meant Bones was doing paperwork, but he knocked anyway.

"Come in."

"Bones, you got a minute?" He stuck his head in.

"Jim?"

"Can you…come out here a sec?" He looked at Delta, who stirred and settled in his arms.

"Sure. What's wrong?" Bones emerged with tri-corder in hand.

"_I'm _fine, but Delta's not." Jim tightened his hold on Delta, purely reactive, "She needs serious help."

"Who's _this_? And where the hell did you find her?"

"This is Delta Picard, I found her on Delta Vega. She crashed shortly after I did, she was let go from the Narada."

"The…_Romulans_ had her? Jesus!"

"Can you do anything?" He laid Delta on an empty bed and let Bones work. He didn't miss the way his friend's face just fell as the results of the scan came up on the screen.

"Bones?"

"How old did you say she was again?"

"She's nine."

"What sick bastard would do this kind of thing to a nine-year-old child?" Bones was devastated, and Jim couldn't imagine what had set him off like that. Then something occurred to him.

"Bones?"

"Yeah?"

"How old's Joanna?"

"She's nine." Bones shook his head and set the tri-corder aside. Jim felt something in his gut twist sharply. Oh, _that_ would make sense. Joanna was nine-years-old, the same age as Delta. He had never _met _Joanna, but he'd seen pictures of her that Bones kept to remind him. The thought of Joanna going through anything like what the Romulans must have done _to_ Delta made him physically ill.

"Shit." Jim put his hands on his knees and leaned over, wishing the nausea away. As he swooned, Bones caught him and he ended up sitting on the deck with his head between his knees. It was the first time in three years he didn't have the strength to ward off Bones armed with a hypospray. He just sat with his head down as Bones pressed the injector tip to the side of his neck and depressed the plunger. Bones clapped him on the shoulder before getting to his feet and tending to Delta. Jim kept his head down, his eyes screwed shut, and tried to think up ways to make the Romulans pay for hurting Delta, permanent, painful, _slow _ways. He listened to Bones move around and give orders and leaned back until he made contact with the bulkhead. Finally, Bones touched the top of his head.

"Jim."

"Huh?"

"She's waking up." Bones held out one hand to him and hauled him off the deck. Jim could see the scars on Delta's leg where the drakoulias had mauled her and winced as he touched one of the scars. Bones handed him the roll of bandage tape and a tube of antibiotic cream. He worked in silence, binding the angry new scars after coating them with the salve. Bones had made good use of a bone-setter, the instrument sat discarded on the tray by his left hand. He held it up in question.

"Two broken ribs, her right leg was broken in at _least _two places, and there was a fracture of the left radius." Bones shrugged to relieve the tension in his shoulders. Jim put the bone-setter down again and brushed damp hair away from Delta's face as she regained consciousness.

"Delta? Sweetheart, come on, wake up."

"You came back for me!" she brightened as she saw him and recognized him.

"Just like I promised, sweetie." Jim smiled, wondering if he _looked _as relieved as he felt, "You feeling alright?" Delta nodded quickly, eyes bright with unshed tears. Jim helped her sit up and hugged her as tightly as he dared. "It's okay to cry, Delta." He got a one-armed hug and the front of his shirt was soon damp. Shifting his hold on Delta, Jim seated himself on the bed with his back to the bulkhead and held Delta safely in his arms.

"Jim, shouldn't you get back to the bridge?" Bones wasn't trying to kick him out, it was a reasonable question.

"If they need me, they can get hold of me with the intercom, Bones. Delta needs me more than they do, I need to be here for her." He rested his cheek on Delta's head, refusing to look at Bones.

"Okay, kid." Bones left him alone after that, leaving Sickbay at one point without a word about where he was going or what he was doing. Jim watched him leave and wondered what took him out of Sickbay. Bones was gone for almost a half an hour, and when he came back he was carrying something.

"What's that?" he sat back against the bulkhead, keeping his voice down. Delta had fallen asleep again, and he didn't want to wake her.

"A few things I figured you two could find good use for." Bones set down his burden, "That's for you, _those _are for Delta."

"What did…clothes?" he rubbed a fold of gold fabric between his fingers, "Bones!"

"I figured why not? You're welcome." Bones smiled, "Guess I was wrong about you, kid."

"Why, Bones. You sound surprised by that." Jim didn't feel the jollity he forced into his words. Bones shook out the gold tunic and held it out to Jim.

"Let me take Delta, you put that on."

"Thanks, Bones." Jim took it with sincere gratitude, letting Bones take Delta from him long enough to change into the clean uniform Bones had brought to him. Once he was dressed, Jim helped Bones get Delta out of the clothes she'd worn on Delta Vega and the Enterprise until now and dressed her in the pink short-sleeved velour hooded top and brown corduroy flare-leg pants. Bones put her up in a sling when she didn't feel comfortable using her left arm.

"Delta, this is Doctor McCoy." Jim ran one hand over Delta's hair, "He's my friend."

"You're a _real _doctor?"

"Yes, Delta. I was practicing medicine a long time before I met Jim here, a long time before you were born." Bones dropped down so he was on eye-level with Delta, "You know, I've got a daughter who's just your age. You remind me a lot of her."

"Really?"

"When we get home, I'll see if I can introduce you two, you'd get along." Bones smiled and stuck out one hand. Delta eyed him with childish wariness and shook hands. Jim snickered. He only found her hesitation to shake hands with Bones so funny because her mother had been a ship's surgeon just like Bones. Once introductions were out of the way, it was back to the bridge. Delta insisted on walking, though she _also _insisted on holding Jim's hand in hers. This caused Bones no end of amusement, Jim jabbed him in the ribs to get him to stop snickering.

"Tell me you didn't do this with Joanna and I call you a liar." He hissed.

"No, I'm guilty." Bones shrugged, "I just never thought I'd see _you _do it." Jim just rolled his eyes. When they got to the bridge, he was carrying Delta. He was a little surprised to see Spock back on the bridge, but he hid it well.

"Commander."

"Captain."

"Welcome back." He set Delta on her feet, not missing how she immediately went around behind him and hid from Spock, "Did I _miss _anything important?"

"No, sir." He could have sworn the ambient temperature on the bridge dropped five degrees when Spock said that. The tension on the bridge was so thick you couldn't have hacked at it with a steak-knife.

"Jim?" Delta whimpered, tugging on the sleeve of his tunic.

"Not now, sweetie." He pressed his hand against the front of her shirt. Delta must have grown up on a starship, she knew when to be quiet. She let him pull away and he brushed past Spock on his way to the command chair, purposely making contact with his reluctant Vulcan First Officer. Who wasn't First Officer until the Captain said so. He settled in the center chair and turned it to face that side of the bridge. He looked briefly at Spock, who simmered in absolute silence, then past the Vulcan to Bones and Delta.

"Delta, come here." He held out one hand and the girl obediently came to his side, clinging to him one-handed. Whispers raced around the bridge as people wondered if Delta was Jim's unacknowledged daughter by some mysterious woman from his past. She certainly looked enough like him to pass, and if he didn't know the truth himself he'd have wondered the same thing. But that was for later. One arm around Delta, he looked dead-on at Spock, "Commander Spock, it seems I'm short a First Officer. I feel it would be most unwise, illogical even, to go into this engagement without one."

"Yes, Captain."

"The post is yours, Commander. To your station." That was his reinstatement and his dismissal. Spock nodded and returned to his post at the science station. Jim turned to the helm consoles, "Lieutenant Sulu, how far are we from Earth?"

"Approximately an hour and thirty minutes sir, and twelve seconds."

"Very good. I don't want the Narada to see us, if anyone has a suggestion I'll take it." He drummed the fingers of his left hand on the chair-arm, the other he ran through Delta's hair. She hugged his leg as she sat by him on the deck, gaze fixed on the view-screen. He lost track of the time and was startled by a decorous cough to his right. He turned and looked up.

"Captain."

"Yes, Commander?" he reached for the padd Spock held out to him, "What's this?"  
"Something I think you should see, sir."

"Well." He took the padd and scanned the contents. It was a plan of action, and one that might actually work. Jim looked at Spock again, "Who came up with this, Commander?"

"Ensign Chekov, sir."

"The navigator?" he looked next to the helm consoles, where his navigator and his helmsman steered the Enterprise and remembered that Chekov was the Russian. He nodded to himself.

"Ensign."

"Yes, sir?"

"How old are you?"

"Sewenteen, sir." His accent butchered the pronounciation. Seventeen. A little young? Jim arched an eyebrow.

"You're seventeen and you came up with _this_? I'm impressed." He casually signed his name to the order and handed it back to Spock, "Very well. Sulu, adjust our course accordingly and see to it we come out behind Jupiter. If we can make orbit around Saturn, that would be fantastic."

"Aye, sir." His helmsman saluted and adjusted course as ordered. If this actually worked, they would come out somewhere between Jupiter and Saturn, hidden from the Narada's sensors.


	25. Part Four :: Chapter Four

Part Four :: Chapter Four

In the end, they made the approach beautifully and Jim joined Spock on the Narada. Before they beamed over to the Romulan mining ship, Bones brought Delta to the transporter room to say goodbye. Jim hugged Delta close as she threw her good arm around his waist, then pushed her back and dropped to his knees.

"Delta, I have to go now. I'll come back, I promise, but you have to be good and listen to Doctor McCoy while I'm gone. He'll take care of you for me, okay?" He smiled and swiped her damp cheek with two fingers, "Hey, no tears. I'm gonna come back. You gotta be _strong_, Delta, for me. I'm doin' this for you, sweetheart, to make you safe. Be good for me, okay?" Delta nodded and put her arm around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Be careful, Jim! Please come back! You're all I have!"

"I know that, sweetie, I know." God did he know _that_. He pulled Delta into his arms and buried his face in her hair. Then it was time to go. He nudged her off the platform, "Go on, stay with Doctor McCoy."

"I'll take care of her, kid." Bones promised as he put one hand on Delta's shoulder to keep her from following them.

"Thanks, Bones. Alright, Scotty."

"Okay. You'll be touching down in the cargo bay, there shouldn't be a soul in sight. Good luck." Montgomery Scott didn't look all that certain of himself as they dissolved in the transporter. As long as they landed on the Narada and not in the vaccum of space he didn't care _where _they ended up. They landed in the cargo bay, just like Scotty had said, but it _wasn't _empty. Oh well, one firefight was no different from any other, and he had a bone to pick with Nero anyway. His pansies were no problem, it was the man himself Jim wanted to see. Once they had the location of the science ship and Captain Pike, he split up with Spock and headed off to find Nero first.

"Jim." Spock called him back as he left the cockpit of the Vulcan ship, "Be careful."

"Hey, we've both got people waiting for us back on the Enterprise, Commander. Mine's waist-high, but I'm all she's got. I can't fail Delta."

"I don't think you will, Captain." There it was again, that formality, but he could have sworn Spock smirked at him, "I've watched you interact with the girl and I know you care for her very deeply."

"Hey, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. You take care of yourself, I don't think Uhura would thank me if you got popped trying to save the Federation." He brushed off his tunic and set off with two goals in mind. Jim found Nero first and the Romulan almost killed him, but remembering what Nero had done to Delta, who waited for him on the Enterprise because he'd promised to come back, gave him a surge of adrenaline and surprising strength.

"You've fucked with the wrong officer, Nero!" he snarled, closing both hands around the thick wrist belonging to the hand wrapped around his throat, "That's the last mistake you'll _ever _make!"

"Not if I kill you first!"

"I'm not dying today, you sick fuck." Jim lashed out with both feet, caught Nero squarely in the solar plexus, and sent him flying backwards. He lay stunned on the deck while Jim grappled with Ayel, taking him down in under five minutes with a round-house kick that sent Ayel spinning. But the younger Romulan recovered quickly and Jim was pulled down. This had to end now, and he kicked Ayel off. Jim had lived his life being beat up by thugs like Ayel and Nero, but he'd never really been able to fight back like this.

_ That's because you've never had something worth fighting for the other times you were getting your ass whipped. _His inner voice snarled as he broke Ayel's neck with his feet. Getting to his feet, Jim picked up Ayel's disruptor and advanced on Nero, who still lay stunned on the catwalk. He looked down on the man who had caused him so much grief, starting on the day of his birth, and felt nothing but disgust.

"You sick, mother-fucking bastard." He snarled, spitting on the winded Romulan, "I don't know what you did to Captain Pike, it's what you did to Delta Picard that's gonna send you to Hell to burn." He saw a flicker of light in the dark eyes and leveled the disruptor.

"Delta…Picard?"

"The nine-year-old girl your band of merry murderers kidnapped six months ago back in 2387 and brought here when you followed Spock and the Jellyfish. You remember _her_, don't you?"

"The pretty blonde girl."

"Speak that way of her again, Nero, I _dare_ you." He snarled. Nero lashed out and sent Jim sprawling, but he was still running on adrenaline fueled by sheer, unadulterated fury and scrambled to his feet with ease.

"Stubborn _Human_!"

"Thanks, that's the nicest thing anyone like you ever said about me." He flashed Nero one of his infuriating grins, the kind that got his opponent to strike back first. They grappled, Jim lost his footing and fell off the catwalk, but broke his fall by grabbing hold of Nero's boot and pulling _him _off-balance. He climbed the Romulan and staggered to his feet. Nero forced him to his knees, but Jim grabbed the disruptor behind him and whipped it up, opening fire at close range. Nero fired at the same time, his shot going wide as he reeled back, but not wide enough. Jim dropped the disruptor and reached for his shoulder, knowing Bones would _love _this. Shoving past the pain, he staggered to his feet and went to find Pike. He had to jump from the catwalk to a lower level, and when the Narada's catwalks suddenly vanished in a transporter, Jim didn't know if he was supposed to be angry or not. Surprise took over for anger when he landed on the deck of the Jellyfish. He gasped and sank to his knees, vision blurred. He raised his head weakly, "S-Spock?"

"Not exactly, old friend. A moment." That wasn't _his _Spock's voice. Jim groaned and doubled over in agony. A moment later, the familiar hum of transporters was heard and he looked up again just in time to see _his _Spock materialize with Captain Pike in tow.

"_Spock_!" he gasped, bizarrely relieved to see the Vulcan again. Spock lowered Pike to the deck and dropped to his knees beside Jim.

"Ambassador, fire the canisters and get us out of range. Has the Enterprise gone to warp yet?"

"She did a moment before I beamed Captain Kirk aboard."

"Spock, what…"

"You shouldn't speak, Jim, you've been hurt." Spock looked strangely compassionate as he probed the wound with long, deceptively gentle fingers.

"Ngh! Spock…!"

"Peace, Captain." Spock soothed, applying the gentlest of pressure to Jim's unhurt shoulder and giving him to blissful, sweet oblivion.

"D-Delta."

"Is safe on the Enterprise. Now hush." Spock whispered and Jim's world faded to black.

As soon as Jim Kirk was unconscious, a blessing in his state, Spock got to his feet and went to the cockpit displays, leaning over the back of the chair.

"Are the canisters away?"

"Yes, all of them." the elderly Vulcan manning the controls looked up at him and smiled, "Give the word."

"Fire." It wasn't even a thought. A spread of missiles streaked towards the Narada and before any of them made contact, the Jellyfish was out of range. They watched on the view-screen as the red matter was ignited by the photon torpedoes and consumed the Narada in a black hole that consumed itself when there was no more matter.

"Set course for the rendezvous with the Enterprise, Captain Pike requires Doctor McCoy's special assistance." Spock turned from the controls and went back to the two unconscious Enterprise captains. The past thirty minutes seemed so bizarre, and it was still happening. After checking on Kirk, he went back further and scrounged up a medical kit. It was designed for Vulcans and Humans, whoever had designed the ship had obviously anticipated either race taking the helm. He tossed the bloodied, torn tunic and undershirt into the small recycler, knowing he could get them back in time for the rendezvous, and carefully tended his captain's hurts. The bone-setter and the dermal regenerator were both friends to him on the short warp-flight to the rendezvous. Spock also took the opportunity to familiarize himself with the body of his captain, memorizing planes and scars by touch. What troubled him were three diagonal scars, each a different length, on the underside of Kirk's left wrist. One scar wrapped around his forearm in length, a raised white reminder of something horrible. Flashes came to him, memories. Running water, a white porcelain sink, a mirror, reflecting the face of Kirk, bruised and stained with tears. An old-fashioned razor of steel, the sharpened blade dragging across pale, soft skin and cutting deep. Not deep enough. Not nearly deep enough. Blood flowing freely from the open wounds, and nothing. Spock surfaced from the memory with a frightened gasp, horrified by what he'd seen.

"Spock?"

"Suicide!" he whispered hoarsely, "He…didn't cut deep enough and failed!" Spock traced the long scar in a weird sort of trance. Thank god Kirk had failed! He thought, or they would all be dead now. His elder came to him with a fresh tunic and undershirt for Kirk, his eyes full of nothing but sadness and understanding. He took the clothes with numb fingers.

"Thank you."

"Do you understand now, Spock?"  
"Yes. His bravado is a mask."  
"Jim Kirk is a tormented soul whose only redemption lies in the _pure _soul of a girl named Delta Picard and the love of his First Officer. When the world turns its back on him, you'll be the only one to stand up for him." A shake of the gray head, "You lie for him, to him on occasion, you fight to the death with him and loose something you never miss because the important person didn't die at all."

"I do not know if T'Pring survived the destruction of our homeworld, and if she has, I will spare her the trials and release her of my own accord. I do not see her as often as I should, I have no desire to see her." His elder adopted a pained expression and Spock knew he understood that pain all too well.

"Wake Jim, we're upon the Enterprise. Doctor McCoy would have my head if I delivered Jim to him in this state."

'Ha, la-Kuramano.' Spock bowed his head in obedience and reached out, finding the pressure-point to revive Kirk.

* * *

Jim had _no _idea how long he'd been unconscious, but the sight to greet him when he woke up was kind of nice. Spock, his brown eyes holding all of the sadness he couldn't show to the world, calling to him.

"Jim, wake up. Wake up, we must go." Spock helped him sit up and handed him a clean undershirt and tunic, watching him. Spock had obviously gotten hold of a medical kit, Jim was stiff but all he had to remember the disruptor burn was an angry red scar under a bandage and the memory. He pulled the undershirt over his head with some difficulty, it hurt to move his right arm. Spock, without hesitation, reached out and helped him pull the black material over his head. The gold tunic followed, an even slower process. Jim groaned, coughed in pain.

"Tension aggravates the wound. Just relax, Jim." Spock whispered, taking him by the hand. He bit his tongue and wondered why he didn't feel more humiliated that he needed help getting dressed. Once he was dressed, Spock pulled Jim to his feet and brushed a few stray wrinkles out of the fabric of his tunic. They got Captain Pike up and Jim reached for his communicator. He looked out the view-screen to the Enterprise, which hovered nearby, and flipped open his communicator.

"Kirk, Enterprise. Three to beam out. Notify Doctor McCoy and have a medical team meet us in transporters. Kirk out." He closed his communicator and looked side-long at Spock Prime, unable to help the smirk that plastered itself across his face, "Oh, by the way? Coming back and changing history? That's cheating." Spock Prime just smiled.

"It's something an old friend once taught me. Be well, Jim."

"See ya round, old man." Jim just looked over at Spock, who wore a passably straight face. They were beamed off the Jellyfish, Jim's ears ringing with Spock Prime's laughter, and rematerialized a heartbeat later on the Enterprise, where they were greeted by quite the welcoming committee. Bones came roaring in, barking orders left and right, threatening to get his hands on the two of _them _once he had Pike taken care of. Sarek, Uhura, and Delta were hard on the heels of the medical team. Jim wasn't under the impression Sarek had encountered his son's elder counterpart just yet, and wondered where on the Enterprise Spock Prime had been hiding all this time. Probably down in Engineering, if he had to hazard a guess. Delta was a complete basket-case, he couldn't get a word in edgewise. When he got to his knees, a painful process itself, she threw herself at him and jarred healing ribs with enough force to take his breath away.

"Ow!" he gasped, "Easy there, sweetheart. Not so hard." Delta just sobbed. She wanted to be held, but the very idea of getting to his feet while holding her made Jim hurt something fierce. As it was, Spock had to help him stand up while his hands were empty. Jim's knees threatened to buckle just when he was upright, but Spock caught him by the elbow and supported him.

"I don't know if I _can _carry you, Delta. I can barely carry myself." He groaned. After four days, he was exhausted and fairly certain his body was just one massive, ugly bruise. Sarek lifted Delta into his arms and smoothed one hand over her hair.

"Take her, Captain. She has asked for you several times, she needs to know you're alright."

"I'm _not _alright." He held out his arms for Delta, who practically jumped into them. The small, warm body pressed against his was actually very soothing, and she sang a French lullaby in his ear as she stroked the back of his neck. Adjusting his hold on Delta, Jim headed for Sickbay with Spock in tow. Uhura tagged along to be with Spock and Sarek left them to their own devices. When they actually got there, Jim was barely conscious, most of his weight borne by Spock while Uhura led Delta by the hand behind them. Spock got him onto an empty bed and Jim caught his First Officer by the hand, not missing the startled jump it spawned.

"Spock…"

"Yes, Jim?"

"_Please_." He wondered if he looked as frantic and disoriented as he felt. Spock knew what he wanted, and nodded solemnly. When that darkness came back to Jim, it was the most beautiful thing to his tortured senses.

"Th'i-oxalra, Spock." He murmured faintly, squeezing Spock's shoulder with his last bit of strength. He wasn't sure where that particular Vulcan phrase came from, or even if it meant what he was trying to say.

* * *

When Leonard McCoy finally got around to seeing Spock and Jim Kirk, First Officer and Acting Captain of the Enterprise, he was surprised to find Jim out stone-cold. He shot Spock a suspicious look as he took stock of what he was up against.

"What'd you _do _to him?"

"He asked it of me, Doctor."

"Sure." Whether or not Jim had the guts to _ask _for that swift oblivion was up for debate. But having Jim unconscious sure made _his _job easier. Removing the tunic and undershirt, and still wondering what madness had possessed him to take it out of store-rooms for Jim, he catalogued any variety of bruises and fractures. Two floating ribs showed signs of recent healing, and a bandage on Jim's shoulder hid an angry red scar.

"What's _this_ from?"

"Romulan disruptor at close range, the shot went wide of it's mark."

"No kidding! What, were the bastards going for execution style or something?" Well, Spock may not be a medical officer, but he sure knew his way around a dermal regenerator and bone-setter. Spock didn't stay long, he had to be on the bridge to get them underway. Leonard _still _didn't know where those orders had come from, and he was really beginning to wonder what kind of shit Jim had gotten himself into while _he _wasn't watching. Once he had Jim stabilized and on the way to full recovery, he turned to his most critical patient and spent six hours saving Christopher Pike from a weird neural parasite that had wrapped itself around the base of Pike's spine after eating through his upper tract.

* * *

The Jellyfish and the Enterprise motored home at impulse speed not because they were stripped of warp capacity, simply because they had no desire to _get _home that much faster. It took them almost a week to reach Earth, most of which Jim Kirk spent sleeping.


	26. Part Four :: Chapter Five

**_AN: Please excuse the inordinate longness of Chapter Five, and just stay with me, we're almost to the end of what will be my single longest completed work of fan-fiction. Please enjoy Chapter Five, and remember to review. I accept con-crit, but no flames. I hope my readers know the difference? Enjoy._**

* * *

Part Four :: Chapter Five

When they arrived, they were ordered to beam directly from the Enterprise to Starfleet Command once all shipboard business had been taken care of and seen to. Families were notified ahead of time and had gathered to welcome them home. Jim wasn't expecting anyone to be there for _him_, he hadn't seen or spoken to any of his family members since before joining Starfleet. He'd been sleeping on a friend's floor the night Captain Pike caught up with him in the bar outside Riverside Shipyard, he hadn't been _home _in two years or at all in the three years since that night. He got to watch his officers and friends reunite with _their _families, watch Bones hug Joanna. All the while, he held Delta in his arms and tried not to feel disappointed.

"Jim!" Someone yelled over a crowd of people six or seven deep. Jim turned and saw someone in a blue duty-uniform waving furiously. He shaded his eyes with one hand.

"Sam?" It was Sam alright, but what was he doing here?

"Jim!"

"Sam!" he put Delta down and took her by the hand, "Come on, sweetheart, my brother's here." He pushed his way through the crowd, Delta clinging to his hand so she wouldn't get separated. Jim only let go of Delta to hug Sam, who dragged him into a crushing bear-hug.

"Are you _nuts_? Sneaking onto the Enterprise? I spent four days worried _sick _about you!" Sam pushed him away, "_Look _at you! You look terrible!"

"Tactful, Sam." Jim chuckled, "Ow."

"Damn it, Jim, I thought you were a goner for sure!"

"Yeah, let's see how far saving Earth will take me." He looked around, "The Council probably doesn't know if they want to hate me or love me. How's Mom?"

"Boy, you thought _I _was bad?" Sam looked over his shoulder, "You ain't seen _nothing _yet."

"She's _here_?" Jim cringed. Five years without any contact at all and suddenly his family decided he was worth their time? Not good. "Sam, there's a reason I haven't seen Mom in five years or bothered going home."

"She told me how much she was sorry about forgetting you."

"Yeah, well, she never told _me_. I never got a call, a letter, a visit…nothing. Maybe I cut off, but if she _really _cared that much, she would have taken time out of her "busy" schedule to see me whenever she was in San Francisco." Jim remembered why he hadn't seen or spoken to his family in five years.

"Did you ever call or write?"

"You bet I did! I even had Captain Pike carrying my letters for a while! I never got a single letter back from her, Sam, not _one _damn letter." He lifted Delta into his arms so he'd have something to hold onto, "I never got a call, or a visit. Absolutely nothing."

"She _does _care."

"Yeah, well, she's got a really lousy way of showing it, Sam." He hugged Delta tightly.

"Hey, Jim, who's this?" Sam gestured at Delta, effectively changing the subject. Jim smiled despite himself.

"Sam, this is Delta. I found her on Delta Vega."

"Oh, so she's _not _yours?"

"Nope, but I'm all she's got and that's close enough." He smiled and stroked Delta's blonde curls, "Looks like me, though, don't she?"

"Yeah. That's just freaky. Are you sure she's not yours?"

"Yeah, pretty sure." He kissed Delta on the cheek, "Delta, this is my brother Sam. Say hello." Delta looked at Sam's rank-stripes.

"Hello, Commander."

"Oh, she's a sharp cookie."

"That's my girl. What can I say?" Jim just grinned at Sam as he shook hands with Delta, "Is Aurelan here with the boys?"

"Yeah, they're around here somewhere."

"How old is Peter now?"

"He's four now, Alex and Jacob are seven and ten."

"Wow." Jim craned and looked for any sign of his sister-in-law. He saw them a moment later and saw his mother with them. Jim clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, "Oh great."

"You can be civil, Jim. She's had it rough the last couple days."

"Huh. The first time in five years she actually decided to care."

"Hey, Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but the last two and a half years, Pike really cracked down on Mom and got on her case for not trying to get in touch with you more actively. He just got sick of her excuses."

"Pike?" Jim arched an eyebrow, "To borrow a phrase from Spock, fascinating." The closer they got, the better Jim could see his mother's face and he realized she was either in tears or between bouts.

"Yeah, and he wasn't nice about it either. Maybe you cut out first, but that didn't mean she had the right to give up being a mother."

"Oh I bet _that _went over well. Why did he care? And…why is Mom crying?"

"She got one of your reports about Pike and hasn't stopped crying since."

"I didn't…oh wait a minute." Jim turned around and looked for Bones, "I didn't send Mom any status reports about Captain Pike. Was it a medical report?"

"Yeah."

"Bones." He sighed, "Damn. Bones sent her that report! But why would he do that without telling me?"

"You'll see in a second here. Put Delta down, you're gonna need your hands free, little brother." Sam put one hand on his shoulder and he dutifully put Delta down again. What he got from his mother was completely unexpected.

"Thank you, Jimmy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"For what?" He was a little taken aback. What did she have to be grateful for besides saving Earth and the bloody Federation with no thanks from anyone at Command?

"You brought him _home_, Jimmy! You brought him home to me!" His mom was all over him, hugging him, kissing him, messing up his hair as she tried to make up for five years and half a child-hood.

"Wait a minute, Mom. Hold it." He pushed her back at arm's length, "Are we talking about Captain Pike?"

"Yes, Jimmy!"

"If you want to thank somebody for _that_, you need to see Bones."

"I already did. Oh he's such a nice man! I'm _so _thrilled you have a friend like him to take care of you!"

"Yeah, he takes care of me alright." Jim decided he would kill Bones later. He hugged his mom, "He really does. I'm sorry."

"Oh, Jimmy, don't be! I was the stubborn one! You made your choice and went away, I kept thinking you'd give up and call. But you never did. Chris told me it was because _I _didn't make any effort to show you I cared." Winona Kirk had always been a beautiful woman, even when she was sad and except when she was covered in bruises from Frank's abuse. She smiled sadly as she reached up and touched a healing bruise on his cheek-bone, one of many still healing, "I was too chicken. I didn't know if you'd want to see me."

"You got my letters, didn't you?"

"Oh, Jimmy, I kept them all!"

"But…I never heard from you! I never got a letter or a call, you never came to the Academy. I didn't know if you got them and threw them all away or kept them." Boy this wasn't what he'd expected on his first day back on solid ground. Not after five years of silence. A tug on the hem of his tunic got his attention and he looked down.

"Jim?" Delta looked up at him with wide brown eyes, "Are we home now?" Jim smiled and lifted Delta into his arms. He had a thing about holding her, it was a weird habit of his really.

"Yeah, sweetie, we're home now. Mom, this is Delta. I rescued her from the Romulans on Delta Vega after they marooned her there." He had to explain it somehow, his mother's eyes almost fell out of her head.

"She looks like you!"

"I keep hearing that from people. I _think _she's from a future timeline or something, she's definitely a Kirk."

"Oh, Jim!"

"Well, I _wasn't _going to leave her there to die! I'm not completely heartless, thank you."

"Go easy on him, Winona." Aurelan put one hand on Winona's sleeve, "If you've had a bad week, his has been worse."

"Thanks, Rel." Jim smiled gratefully at his sister-in-law. Maybe he didn't always get along with others of his family, but he always seemed to get along well with his sister-in-law. Winona was fascinated with Delta and reached out to touch her hair.

"She really does look like you, Jim. She's very pretty."

"Thanks. I kinda wish she _was_ mine, but I plan on adopting her if nothing else." Jim smoothed the front of Delta's dress, another creation from Bones. The man was going to run out of replicator credits before Delta ran out of a wardrobe, he mused. They'd definitely have to do some shopping while they were stateside, or perhaps borrow? Regardless, there were a few domestic items needed tending to. He would deal with them later, after he'd slept in a decent bed and had time to process his thoughts.

"Captain." The calm, melodic voice of his First Officer reached him above the hum and ebb of external conversations and Jim just smirked.

"Yes, Commander?" he loved the expressions on the faces of his family members. He'd left a lowly, disgraced Cadet and someone had just addressed him as "Captain"? Boy had _they _missed something important!

"Sir, most of the officers have departed the area."

"Thank you, Spock. Come here a second." He turned to his First Officer, who stood behind him at perfect attention, hands clasped behind his back and feet spread just shoulder-width apart.

"Jim?" Sam hissed, "Is _that _a Vulcan?"

"Yes, Sam, that's a Vulcan." He clapped his brother on the shoulder, "This is my First Officer, Spock. If all goes well and the Academy Board doesn't eat me alive, he'll have to put up with me for a long while yet." Spock said nothing, just raised an eyebrow, "Spock, this is my family. My mother, Winona Kirk, and my brother Sam, and his wife Aurelan. These are their sons, Peter, Alex, and Jacob."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kirk." Spock didn't offer to shake hands, but Jim almost died of mortification when his mother did something very impulsive and very Human.

"Oh, honey, just call me Winona!" she beamed at Spock a split second before she hugged him. Jim choked and bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood.

"Mom!"

"Sorry, sorry. Jim just doesn't have very many friends."

"I wouldn't call him a _friend_, persay. I think he just tends to put up with me." Jim hugged Delta tightly.

"Hey, pleasure's all ours, Commander." Sam stuck out one hand, "Anybody dumb enough to put up with my baby brother's welcome to it."

"Sam, you…!" he trailed off. Spock politely shook hands and withdrew at the soonest. Jim set Delta down and looked around for Bones, "Delta, why don't you and the boys go see if Joanna McCoy wants to play. I bet she'd like to have some friends her own age around here."

"Oh can we, Mom?" Jacob clamored.

"Please, Mom? Please, _please_, Dad?" Alex pitched in.

"Who's Joanna McCoy?"

"She's Doctor McCoy's daughter, she's just Delta's age. I know they're around here somewhere. Delta will know." Jim wanted to escape his embarrassing Human family before he apologized for them. Jacob and Alex wanted to play and run off some spare energy, but Peter wasn't all that thrilled about wandering too far from Aurelan, so he stayed behind while Delta took the boys and went to find Joanna. Jim couldn't remember if he'd brought down his communicator or not and groaned when he realized it was back on the Enterprise.

"Damn it."

"You may use mine, Captain, if you wish to inform Doctor McCoy?"

"Thank _you_, Spock." He took the offered communicator, hardly noticing when his fingers brushed Spock's for a brief moment before he pulled away and flipped the communicator open, "Kirk to McCoy. Bones, you there?"

"Yes, Jim. I haven't moved three feet from where you _left _me." He heard the silent "idiot" left unspoken and snickered.

"I love you, too, Bones. Listen, pal, I've got three youngsters heading your way, do you mind letting Joanna and Delta play with the boys?"

"Your brother's boys?"

"You're getting Jacob and Alex."

"No problem. I'll just add it to the tally."

"You're a saint, Bones."

"Tell me something I _don't _know. McCoy out." That was the end of _that _conversation and Jim handed Spock his communicator back.

"Well, that went well. You can collect the boys from Doctor McCoy in an hour or two."

"Thanks, Jim. They've been bouncing off the walls."

"You're welcome." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Now, if you lovely people will _please _excuse me, I am overdue a hot shower and a nap of the twenty-four hour variety."

"What about Delta? Will she be alright?"

"She'll stay with Bones and Joanna."

"Alright. Take care of yourself, little brother. Don't be a stranger." Sam slapped him on the shoulder and dragged him into another hug before letting him go.

"Same yourself, Sam."

"Welcome home, Jimmy. I'm glad you're safe." Aurelan whispered as she hugged him far more gently and kissed him on the cheek.

"Says my sensible sister-in-law. You're an angel, Aurelan." He kissed her on the cheek and stole a siblings' kiss before he let his mother fuss over him.

"Mom, _Mom_, quit it! Yeesh! I'm alright, I swear." He tried to straighten out the rumpled shirt and flatten his hair, to no avail, "I just need a shower and sleep and I'll be fine!"

"Okay, Jimmy. Just…"

"I _know_, Mom. You can go to Starfleet Medical any time you want to see Captain Pike." He smiled, "He'd like the company."

"Thank you." His mother let him go reluctantly and he took a fold of Spock's sleeve as he turned away.

"You and me are getting out of this madhouse before I actually loose my mind, Spock." He whispered, "Let's get out of here."

"You have a very…enthusiastic family, Captain."

"For the last time, it's Jim off-duty. And they're not enthusiastic, they don't know any better." He ran his fingers through his hair, "Jesus, I am _so _sorry my mom hugged you. She can go a little overboard."

"That is what mothers do, isn't it?" Spock shrugged, folded his hands behind his back, "My mother used to do the same with me when I was much younger, and even when I was older. I always resented her affection for the wrong reasons." Jim winced. What did Spock think of him, with his in-tact family? Granted his biological father was dead, but his mother had remarried a very good man without Jim's knowledge. He knew how he'd missed that little quirk, and hated that he'd been so damn mulish about contacting his family. Pike sure hadn't said anything to him.

"Jim?"

"Yeah, Spock?" boy, he'd never heard Spock's voice quite that soft, not in a few days anyway.

"Your mother is alive and she loves you very much. Cherish that no matter how much you would rather not."

"That was a freak of nature right there, Spock. When I was growing up, my mom was more interested in her new husband, who was a real jackass and a tyrant. He beat Sam and I, but Mom just wouldn't leave him. She would leave us _with _him and go off on science missions with Starfleet, leaving us for months at a time." He shuddered, "You know how I flipped out on the bridge that day?"

"I recall that very clearly." Spock frowned, more of a drawing-together of his eyebrows than an actual frown.

"Yeah. My step-father used to beat the shit out of me for no good reason, I've always been shy of physical contact. That's why I fight so dirty."

"I saw it in your eyes, Jim. You were afraid, you were angry."

"And _you _threw me off the Enterprise. All forgiven, by the way, you saved my ass on the Narada." He paused as Joanna and Delta raced past him with the boys in close pursuit, their shrieks filling the air as they darted between families.

"The children are happy."

"Which makes _me _happy. Boy, have you seen Bones lately? The man won't stop _smiling_."

"I was not aware Doctor McCoy could smile at all, he is so severe."

"If you've gone through half of what he did, you'd be the same way." Jim frowned, "I had the misfortune of meeting his ex in second year and broke my hand punching the wall of our dorm-room."

"Why did you react so violently?"

"I hated the woman for hurting Bones. He's my best friend, Spock, he's always been there to pick up the pieces and do the things nobody else will do for me. I saw Gemma Pierce and hated her fully and innately. You don't hurt my friends and then think you can play nice with me and I'll just take it."

"Would you do that for me?" Spock looked at him sidelong as they walked together.

"If somebody ever hurt you or tried to hurt you, they'd get their ass kicked so hard they wouldn't feel for two weeks. I spent my life getting kicked around, having everything taken away but getting nothing back. I like to protect what's mine."

"Is that why you killed Ayel and Nero on the mining-ship?"

"Yeah, that's why I killed Ayel and Nero. I had Delta waiting for me, I had to make sure she was safe." Jim reactively curled one hand into a tight fist as he remembered that fight on the catwalks. Spock reached down and took his hand, carefully uncurling his fingers with a troubled look on his face.

"You used to hurt yourself, but I don't know why. When I saw you on the Jellyfish, I didn't know if I was going to lose you." Spock straightened Jim's fingers with great care, running sensitive fingertips over the ridges and indents of his hand, "I learned something that day."

"Spock?" Jim had seen Spock run the gamut of emotions in the last seven days, but he'd never seen it like this. What was Spock talking about, anyway? Spock reached up and slipped two fingers under the cuff of his sleeve, pressing against the scars there from a failed suicide-attempt almost seven years ago.

"I almost lost you, and I didn't even know you existed." Spock looked up and Jim forgot how to breathe. Spock's eyes were dark, fully Human, as if he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be sad or angry. He'd talked to Spock Prime, Jim knew he'd spoken to Spock Prime. Jim curled his fingers around Spock's, heard the sharp intake of breath, felt the customary flinch.

"Spock?"

"Yes, Jim?"

"Ple'ma tsu rashaya?" He had learned Vulcan a long time ago on the racing circuit, but had never needed it until he'd met Spock. Without letting go of him, Spock led the way back to his apartment and pulled Jim inside. It was warmer than usual, but having spent time in Spock's quarters aboard the Enterprise he was used to the almost repressive heat. The heat, their exhaustion, and the simple fact that there was no where for them to be until tomorrow spurred a lazy cuddle. Jim moved first, reaching for the blue tunic and undershirt, pulling them off to reveal smooth, pale planes he had spent the journey home memorizing. Spock took his sweet time with Jim's tunic and undershirt, adding it to the pile beside the bed, later adding their boots and belts to the mix.

* * *

Spock turned off his communicator, activated an override on the lock of his front door, and went to the kitchen while Jim sprawled on the queen-sized bed. Spock had a studio apartment that made Jim's apartment seem _really_ small. Maybe that was because Spock didn't have any walls like he did. There was one divider wall between the kitchen and the main area that served double-purpose as a bar and dining area, but that really about it in the way of barriers. The bed was sectioned off with opaque red curtains that were pulled back at the moment. Spock returned shortly with two glasses of light, fruity Vulcan wine. It was like champagne, but more tart. Jim liked it. He rolled onto his stomach and looked at Spock.

"This is a really nice place. Nicer than mine."

"How?"

"First of all, it's immaculate and mine's a disaster. It's also bigger because you don't have walls." He sipped the wine, "It's just…nice. Homey. I like it." Spock's eyes smiled for him. Jim finished his wine and carefully set the glass aside, curling onto his side to watch Spock. They had done a lot of this on the Enterprise, where they didn't really talk. Sometimes they played chess, sometimes they did paperwork, other times they just did _this _and relaxed. Jim sighed and shifted his angle. After a few minutes, he shoved off the bed and wandered to the bathroom, where he took a shower. Spock lent him a pair of sweatpants and he reclaimed his spot on the bed. It wasn't that late, but he was truly exhausted. Spock shaded the windows, opened one of them to let in some fresh air, and came to bed.

The warm body behind him lulled Jim into a sense of security that had him reaching for sleep within minutes. He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he heard a muffled knock. He thought it was his dream, but when it kept coming, he forced himself to wake up. Spock stirred sleepily beside him, somnolent and lazy.

"Go back to sleep, it's nothing."

"No, it's Bones. That's his knock." Jim sat up, "What time is it?" he looked at his watch. It was a little after 2030 hours. He yawned and got up from the bed, "I'd love to know how Bones found me_ here_."

"He must have seen us leave." Spock didn't _move_. Jim pulled on a tee-shirt as he trudged to the door and pulled it open.

"I knew I'd find you here." Bones greeted him with a smile. He seemed far too awake for Jim's liking.

"Hey, Bones. What's up?"

"I've got the girls, did you want me to keep Delta for the night?"

"Aw, geeze. I forgot about Delta!"

"She's just fine, she had a grand old time with Joanna and your brother's boys. They nodded off around 1945 hours and I just took them back to the hotel." Bones grinned, obviously very much in a pleasant state of mind, "My parents absolutely love her, they've offered to keep her until we get our feet on the ground."

"Bones, your mother is a fucking _saint_. Tell her I love her and she has my thanks. So the girls get along?"

"Like two peas in a pod, you should see 'em. I'll stop by in the morning, you look dead."

"I _feel _dead. Thanks for coming by, Bones, I'd forgotten."

"Well no hard feelings on her part, she's happy as a lark. Get some sleep, Jim." Bones hugged him and waved as he went off.

"'Night, Bones!" he called quietly as his former roommate disappeared down the outer stairs. The bloody man was _whistling_! Yeah, he was in a good mood. Groaning, Jim staggered back into the apartment and went back to the bed, falling backwards with a sigh.

"What did he want?" Spock's query was muffled by the pillow.

"He just wanted to let me know he's keeping Delta for the night. His parents are willing to keep her until the Academy Board figures out what to do with us." He sighed and rolled over in the dark, "Which is the nicest thing of them. I like his parents, his mom's a sweetheart."

"It is nice to have a second family when your own leaves some to be desired."

"Tell me about it. I, quite honestly, am so tired I could sleep all week without moving."

"That's because you refused to sleep on our way home, Jim. You robbed yourself of perfectly good sleep, for what?"

"Paranoia, it's a wonderful stimulant." He buried his face in the cool pillow, "Ugh." Jim heard Spock stir and smiled into the pillow as warm lips touched his shoulder.

"Go to sleep, Jim." Spock whispered in his ear, "I'll be here in the morning." It was such a strange thing to say, after all this _was _Spock's apartment, but Jim appreciated the sentiment.

"Thanks, Spock." He smiled and turned his head on the pillow. Exhausted but content, Jim drifted off to sleep. At some time in the night, Spock shifted and Jim was aware of a warm body close behind his, one arm laid over his midsection. It made him smile and he drifted back into the lovely oblivion of sleep.


	27. Part Four :: Chapter Six

Part Four :: Chapter Six

Two days later, Jim stood before the Academy Tribunal to answer for the charges against him. One set of charges had been withdrawn, the charges of academic dishonesty. As Admiral Barnett announced this, Jim exhaled.

_God bless you, Spock. _He thought, knowing Spock had called off the trial that had gotten him into this whole mess. However, the remaining charges he'd racked up on the Enterprise still stood to be answered. _That_, he wasn't looking forward to at all. As they read off his remaining charges, he looked over his shoulder to see if he could pick out Spock or Bones. He knew they were up there in the stands, somewhere. Scattered among the red and black dress uniforms he saw red, gold, and blue duty-uniforms marking various officers from the main fleet come to watch the trial. The top tier of the bleachers was occupied by a line of gold tunics as the respective captains stood to watch how one of their own, no matter how long he'd been one or how he'd gotten there, held out against the Tribunal poised to end his career in a single swift stroke. Suddenly, there was a stir in the crowds and Jim just had to turn around. For the sake of his sanity, and thumbing his nose at the same Tribunal now prepared to ruin his life without blinking, Jim had worn his duty-uniform, flaunting the rank-stripes that marked him, however briefly, a captain. He apparently wasn't the only one. One by one, and from all over the room, his officers appeared. Spock appeared first, from almost exactly the same place as before, in his Science uniform, followed by Bones and Christine Chapel. Jim was actually surprised to see the nurse, he hadn't been under any illusion she even remotely _liked _him. He'd slept with her once in second year, and freaked out when she wanted a longer relationship. Commitment scared the shit out of him, it always had. He'd run with his tail between his legs, Christine had never forgiven him for that slight. Following his medical officers came his chief engineer, his communications officer, his helmsman, and his seventeen-year-old genius of a navigator. The noise-level in the room rose a little as each officer showed him or herself and quietly joined the line-up.

"Spock, what are you _doing_?" he hissed, "This isn't your fight!"

"You were our captain when we didn't have one. If not for you, none of us would be here." Spock looked at him, his brown eyes strangely intent, "You don't deserve to be treated like a common criminal when you risked your life to save the whole of the Federation." That was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. Jim just hadn't thought he'd ever hear it from his own First Officer. Barnett, recovering from his shock, ordered Spock and the others to return to their seats. This wasn't their concern.

"With all due respect, sir, the proceedings of this trial are very _much _our concern. Are we not the officers of the Enterprise? Your flagship? And was this man not her captain?"

"By default, by flaw, by trickery! Stand down, Commander! That is an order!" Admiral Pollard snarled, flushing a dangerous shade of purple. At the other end of their line, Jim saw poor Chekov wavering. Sulu and Scotty looked like they would quite happily go back to their places.

"Come on, guys, stay with me here." He whispered so softly no one but Spock actually heard him, "Just hang in there." The Tribunal wasn't so desperate to charge him with mutiny and deliberate insubordination as to take down his officers _with _him, were they? Jim didn't want to look over his shoulder, but paranoia had him looking to see what the senior captains thought of this bizarre show of loyalty. Suddenly, another officer separated herself from the crowd of students and instructors and joined them. It was Gaila! Jim almost fainted. Now his line-up really _was _complete! Several of the captains were smiling. There were whispered conversations going on, much nodding of heads and quiet snickering. Jim gulped. Oh boy. The student-body was whispering amongst themselves, the noise swirled around Jim and his officers like so much smoke. Jim turned back to the Tribunal and so started a stare-down. Nothing was said by either party.

* * *

The silence grew so long it became uncomfortable. People in the audience shifted in their seats, coughed, fidgeted, tried not to look too interested or too embarrassed to be caught watching anyway. After about fifteen minutes, Jim thought of something he wanted to say to the Tribunal, but he wasn't sure if it would actually convey the message he wanted to send the Tribunal. There was one way to know. Without breaking eye-contact with Pollard, he reached back and brushed his fingers against Spock's, sending the questioning impulse. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spock stiffen and then turn to him. With the barely perceptible dip of the dark head came an impulse that conveyed the ironic appropriateness of his words of choice. Schooling a straight face that would have made any Vulcan proud, Jim stepped out of ranks and looked at each member of the Tribunal, settling at last on Admiral Barnett who sat in the center. Raising his right hand, he gave them a nearly-perfect Vulcan salute.

"Gentlemen of the Tribunal, tai nasha no karosha." Turning his back on them, Jim went straight up the center stairs, followed by his officers. Halfway up, someone at the top to applaud. The rest of them picked up and by the time he reached the top of the stairs, the auditorium rang with applause. At the top, he was stopped by the same captains who had watched him take on the Tribunal with his officers around him and forced to take five minutes to shake hands. Below, the Tribunal was still trying to figure out where they'd lost control and practically handed it to the fleet's youngest and most irresponsible captain.

"Jim!" he was pulled away from shaking hands with the captain of the Modesto by a boisterous, familiar hail. He turned, actually surprised to hear that voice in the auditorium. Threading his way through the crowd in a wheelchair was Christopher Pike. Jim couldn't believe they'd let him out of Starfleet Medical.

"Captain Pike?"

"Admiral now, but yes. In the flesh." His predecessor grinned up at him and stuck out one hand, "You gave Barnett and his cronies a real what-for down there, kid. I'm proud of you."

"Standing down the Academy Tribunal isn't my idea of smart, sir."

"We've all wanted to say that to them at one time or another in our career, Jim. You just had the luxury of saying it first." Pike snickered as they shook hands, "And don't worry about the Enterprise, I'll make sure you kids get her back."

"Can you do that, sir?" Bones couldn't help himself. Around them, the other captains just started laughing. Apparently, Pike _could _do that, and a heck of a lot more.

"Don't give me that look, McCoy. You're the one who sweet-talked the Chief of Starfleet Medical into letting me out of that penitentiary of a hospital early." Pike said slyly. Now it was Jim's turn to laugh. Just like Bones to spring his superiors out of trouble. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Why, Bones, I didn't know you were friends with Doctor Chapel!" he smirked, loving how it made Bones squirm.

"So he owes me a few favors."

"This I have to hear someday." He snickered.

"Oh would you shut up?" Bones snarled, but he was grinning too broadly to be serious. Jim blew him a kiss and turned back to Pike.

"Admiral, good luck. I'm afraid I've left you a bit of a mess to clean up." He looked down again, "I don't know if any of them have blinked in the last five minutes."

"Serves them right, the bastards." The Neptune's captain spat. Oh, so he _wasn't _the only one who had issue with the Tribunal. Interesting. Thoughts of the Tribunal were shoved aside by an excited yelp from somewhere on the other side of this strange little coven-meeting.

"Jim!" it was Delta. Several people had to move aside if she didn't just charge right past them. Jim dropped to his knees and caught Delta as she launched herself into his arms, "Do we get to _keep _her, Jim? Do we?"

"Yeah, sweetheart, I think we get to keep her." He hugged Delta and ran his fingers through her hair, "We get to keep her, if Admiral Pike says we do." Delta turned and looked up at Pike with that intensely curious but measuring glance she saved for strangers. He didn't miss the slight widening of Pike's eyes, the questioning eyebrow that went up halfway to his hairline. Oh brother, he'd have some questions needing answering later. Delta pulled out of Jim's arms and went to Pike, looking him dead in the eye.

"Sir Admiral?"

"Yes?" he answered with all the wariness of a man waiting to be bitten by a dog.

"Can we keep the Enterprise, sir?" well, at least she was _polite _about it.

"Who is we, young lady?"

"Me and Jim and Mister Spock and Bones and…and all the rest of us, sir." Jim saw the slight change in Delta's posture and knew what was coming. He pitied Pike, no one he knew was immune to Delta's charms when she turned those sad eyes on full force. She could probably ask someone to pick a fight with a Klingon and they'd do it just because of the eyes.

"Please can we keep the Enterprise, sir? We'll take good care of her, I promise we will." It was like watching a child beg her parents for a puppy. Maybe they didn't _know _Delta Picard from any girl on the street, but it was clear the captains were won over.

"Shit, she's a freaking con-artist." Jim got up and rubbed his jaw so he wouldn't smile.

"You just figured that out?" Bones gave him a look that clearly said the doctor thought he was nuts. Or at least blind.

"No, I knew that, but…Pike? Damn she's good." He watched to see what would happen. It took two minutes for Delta to win over Christopher Pike. She played with the sleeve-stripes that marked him Rear Admiral, urging Pike to touch her. Five heartbeats later, the Enterprise was theirs for the taking. That didn't mean Jim wouldn't have answers to give later, but at least he knew the Enterprise would be his when the dust settled.


End file.
